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Step 1
Identify the black rot infected plants. Leaf spotting is the easiest identifying characteristic of black rot infection. The spots are dark brown with a dark center surrounded by a yellow halo. These are sometimes called "frog's eye spots." On fruit trees, the black rot fungus creates a small mummified fruit, which is the center of infestation.
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Step 2
Identify vegetables with black rot. Vegetables, such as cabbage, first show signs of black rot with yellowish lesion on leaves. As the leaf matures, these lesions grow darker and the leaf vein turns black.
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Step 3
Remove the infected sections of the plant, if not the entire plant. As a precaution, wrap the infected area of the plant with a plastic bag before removing to prevent the fungus from spreading. Dispose of the diseased plant carefully.
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Step 4
Prevent black rot. This is the most effective method of controlling the infection. There are no truly effective chemical controls of black rot. Some commercial success has been found with early application of fungicide, but for a home gardener, prevention is the best deterrent to black rot infestation.
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Step 5
Use certified disease-free plants, vines and seeds. The black rot infection agent can stay viable in soil for over two years and will survive the winter on plant debris and rubbish. The disease is easily spread, even by gardening tools. Clean tools meticulously after using on black rot infected plants.
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Step 6
Plant a very different crop following a black rot infestation. If black rot occurred on cabbage, plant corn or beans in the same area after thoroughly clearing away debris from the previous year. Using good sanitation and planting in well-drained soil also reduces the risk of black rot.
