How to Identify Leaf Spot on Roses

Identify the leaf spots on your roses to treat them with the correct
fungicide or care for them correctly. Black leaf spots are caused by a
fungus that survives the wintertime. The fungi cause the leaves to become
yellow and fall off. The plants become weak from the fungi and die when they
are too infected. Other spots cause yellow lines in the leaves of the roses.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. View the leaves of your roses every day or every other day to catch the first sign of leaf spots.

2. Identify the type of spot your rose leaf has by looking at the color and shape of the spot.

3. Recognize dark irregular spots on your roses' leaves as black spots
   on roses. These make the leaves turn a yellow color when the leaf becomes infected.

4. Measure the spots between 1/2 inch to 1/16 inch.

5. Look for the rose canes to develop purple raised irregular spots as well as
   the leaves.

Tips & Warnings

• Get rid of yellow wavy lines on your rose leaves with a 10 percent bleach water spray. The yellow wavy lines are caused by a virus. Destroy the plant when the virus has infected the plant beyond curing.
• Treat black spots on the leaves of your roses by avoiding water on your plant. Move the plant to a sunny location and begin a fungi spay ritual on your plant.
• The duration of the black spots starts in the spring and continues into the summer.
• Look for yellow wavy lines on your rose leaves; this is called rose mosaic virus.

Resources

• Tips on selecting a rose plant
• How to care for your roses