Hi Nan, I've been growing roses without fungicide ("no spray") in Virginia for a couple of decades. Folks will suggest all sorts of homemade potions, and some may help a bit. But in the long run, choosing highly BS resistant roses is the secret. If you love a particular rose and it is susceptible to BS, then spray that one rose. Or group your rose collection into a "spray" section and a "no spray" section to facilitate care.

BS spores need about six hours to germinate--if you can keep the leaves dry they won't get BS.

LOL Patty... I also treat badly BS-ed roses with a shovel...And strive to find & plant better disease resistant roses for my area...

That grim reaper still makes me laugh every time he pops up ready for a prospect.
This is going to sound really elementary Nan, it was such beginners luck for me a few years ago when I planted the rose bed. The rose on thhe end that gets the most sun has No problems, None ! The others I still like to spray with milk ( 9 parts water to 1 part milk) and it works wonders. CAUTION : do not leave a milk spray bottle at room temperature or grim reaper may come for it.

Agreed, if you live in blackspot country, growing blackspot resistant varieties is the best way to avoid fungicide treatments.

If you do use a fungicide, start treatment right after pruning. If you wait to see the spots, the disease is much harder to control.

We get a heavy morning dew about 150 days a year where I am, and our roses have the full panoply of rose diseases: powdery mildew, black spot and rust.

My solution:

1. Keep roses well-maintained. Every week I give every rose bush a good leaf trimming to get rid of all densely foliated area. This is generally where the rust and black spot come and keeping a good airflow allows them plants to dry quicker.
2. If you can, keep a bowl-like structure to the bush, with the middle empty. Again, this will allow for quicker drying.
3. Finally, starting at first spring bud break, every week they get some sulfur spray. I use this stuff.

We still get a little of all the aforementioned diseases, but much, much less than before. Hope this helps

mudpie, what type of milk do you use? 2%? Skim? And how often do you treat your roses with it? I'd read about milk before and am getting curious enough to give it a try.

It's the fat content in the milk that supposedly has antifungal properties, not the protein part. So using skimmed milk is not a good idea. Maybe someone should try clarified butter..

Better than chemicals? No, but it's not impossible to grow roses without chemicals. Like some have said, try to keep your roses aerated, pick varieties that are hardy, and pick off diseased foliage.

I try everything combined as Kublakan suggested, plenty of fresh air and close watch to remove sickly leaves.

I think it was the Cornell University study that came up with the milk ratio of 1-9 parts, the 1 part I used was organic whole milk. They stated it worked as good or better than fungicides. i dont know how to post a link to them but if you google Cornell rose milk spray recipe you'll probably find it, and some others. I want to make up a batch of baking soda and listerine spray too this year and alternate.

Just noticed Arlene, you asked how often I used the milk spray. The first day I used it on just a small area to experiment,( not really believing it would work), by morning the black spot was GONE ! I tell you it was astonishing, one of those instances when you ask yourself did that really happen ? I used it a few days and then Cornell Horticulture dept. says to wait and resume spraying at intervals. I'll have to look it up again and try to find an exact quote of the regimen for you if I can. REMEMBER refrigerate unused portion of milk spray or you'll have a bigger probllem than blackspot.

Nik you sound like a gourmet cook. I already have to cook london broil or extra lean black Angus meat for toppings on the dog food or he won't eat, Now the roses are going to get in on the act. They get Horizon Organic, really great rich creamy milk. Dog and roses get spoiled rotten.

Lots of sites have the Cornell formula containing horticultural oil soap and baking soda, many variations, but I'm having trouble locating the research on the application of milk spray. it was last year I read about it. i'll try again tomorrow to find more info.

The president of our rose society tried the milk spray for two years. She gave up after last year. Milk or the Cornell formula are moderately effective for powdery mildew here, but not any of the leaf spot diseases. Your mileage may vary.

I received some knock out roses as a gift right out of the store in the Monrovia pot. Planted them, they did well last year ( their first year) now I see they are starting to bud and are covered with BS on the stems. I guess even the most BS resistant ones are still susceptible to them. Glad to find this thread will have to try out some of your suggestions. Jim 1961 That is hilarious!!!!

Yes, Jim, I love that photo you post. So funny!! The first time I saw it, I just laughed and laughed.

Carol

Another thing I forgot to mention is that my young roses that had terrible blackspot seemed to grow out of it a bit the next year. I wonder how much of my gardening success is dumb luck, it isn't expertise. The roses must get a good laugh out of my attempts.

Mila Ski, It is also possible that those spots are spot anthracnose. Spot anthracnose was very active in Illinois last year. It will overwinter on the canes. Then when conditions are right will reinfect this years foliage.

Patty thanks for bringing that to my attention. I guess the battle begins :(

Well bs is part of rose growing. Over the years, I have learned to live with it and not panic at every sign of bs. I have been looking for more disease resistant variety over the years to grow. I try to keep the ground clear of disease leaves and as my last resort, I will shovel prune plants that is severely weakened by bs.

I found that as jj just noted, keeping affected leaves wherever they are as well as any of the mulch in shade under the bush,replaced with fresh stuff and throwing the removed harvest away.

Gypsum and Potassium Sulphate is the cure for the dreaded BS in my garden.

One teaspoon Gypsum, two teaspoons Potassium Sulphate, once a week, water it in with my hosepipe.

If very rainy - twice - 3 times per week.

If dry, much less.

If needed I sprinkle some corn meal over the leaves, but that usually only happens right at the end of summer when dew starts building up heavily.

Straw gave me this amazing 'recipe'.

Both the gypsum (Calcium) and Potassium Sulphate are anti-fungal. Potassium also helps with strong new basal shoots and lots of blooms.

Also keep good circulation.

Thank you Thank you Thank you everyone, I will definitely try the milk spray (do you think 2% will do? or shall I buy whole milk?) and can we receive email/remainder if someone post a reply/comment on our thread? I am new and do not know much about this Forum.... Also do you know what causing Rose's leaves to kind of curled and get darker than the healthy leaves (more like purplish color)...Thanks again everyone and have a blessed week-end !

If indeed milk fat works against blackspot it will be interesting to see what happens with roses I sprayed with a deer repellent based on suet. It's the best repellent I've tried but I'm afraid that it would be too good if it could do double duty.