Growing
Black Spot Is An Illness Of Rose Leaves - Identify And Treat The Causes In 3 Easy Steps
IN THIS GUIDE What Is Black Spot? What Causes Black Spot On Rose Bushes? Effect Of Black Spot Treatment Options 1) Remove The Contagion 2) Curing With Topical Sprays 3) Prevention Is Better Than The Cure References Have you ever noticed that rose plant leaves tend to have black or almost dark purple spots on them? They may also present with yellowish or very light greenish foliage tone around the dark patches. This condition is called Rose Black Spot, or in scientific terminology, Diplocarpon rosae.1 What Is Black Spot? Black spot infected leaves on a rose plant. Black spot is an illness of rose leaves where they start to have an unattractive appearance with black or dark spots. Amidst the vibrant colour of roses, the foliage will turn into a mixture of yellow and light green with dark patches on the upper surface of the leaf. Over time, the leaves will wither and fall, causing the vigour of roses to drastically drop. “Black spot is one of the biggest problems with roses,” says Ben Stirton from Country Garden Roses. “However, a good feeding and watering regime will prevent the rose from getting stressed which will, therefore, make it less prone to disease.” What Causes Black Spot On Rose Bushes? “If your roses are well pruned, properly fed and decent recently-bred varieties are chosen, then this shouldn’t be a problem,” says Stewart Pocock from Pocock’s Roses. However, that does not mean that diseases cannot arise. The primary cause of rose black spot is a fungal infection; it is the gravest disease for the rose bush. The fungus, Diplocarpon rosae, weakens the plant’s vitality by infecting the leaves and gradually killing the plant.2 Rose black spot predominantly occurs at the beginning of spring and in very few cases, during the winter. If left untreated, the infection spreads to the entire rose bush. Like most fungal illnesses, black spot flourishes in moist conditions. You may notice the black spots produce spores that get carried away by the wind to other foliage or plants, so that other rose bushes also get infected by this as the spores spread. “When watering, especially at nighttime, keep the foliage dry,” advises Stewart. Effect Of Black Spot As the infection takes hold and progresses, the leaf zones around the dark patches turn to a hue of yellowish-green. When the whole leaf has turned yellow, it becomes weak and eventually drops off. With most leaves gone, the rose plant is now debilitated and exposed. “Black spot is unattractive on the plant and a severe attack year after year will weaken a plant,” warns Philip. “However, a lot of varieties marketed today can recover and grow back with vigour, as long as they have the basic needs of food, water and light provided in generous quantities.” Treatment Options The first step in treating black spot roses is prevention, as both our experts agree: “Being a breeder for so long, I grew the roses without treating them with fungicides to evaluate them for health,” shares Colin, the owner of the award-winning plant nursery Dickson Roses. “If you make sure your roses are given a balanced diet, it goes a long way to ensuring they thrive.” “Prevention is better than cure, and sulphur can act as a preventative fungicide and be applied as a spray or drench in the early season,” adds Philip. However, if the infection had already begun, worry not as you are still able to manage it. Once you have verified the symptoms of black spot, there are a few treatments you could administer to help save your roses. 1) Remove The Contagion First things first: it is incredibly important to remove the infection, in this case, the foliage with the black spots. Taking care of leaf litter and pruning the yellow ones from the canes reduce the risk of spreading the disease. “Air circulation through the rose is also a good preventative,” says Ben. “Stripping all the leaves off our roses and clearing the ground underneath if they get either of these diseases prevents the spores from infesting the new growth.” If you notice unhealthy stems before the leaves appear, eliminate them from your rose plant immediately. “When deadheading, it can be helpful to trim back harder,” adds Philip. “Giving more of a summer prune will encourage a larger amount of young vigorous growth which will be more resistant.” Try to refrain from putting the infected leaves and stems into a compost pile. Even a gentle breeze could blow the fungal spores back to your rose bushes. 2) Curing With Topical Sprays One of the best treatments for black spot or any type of fungal disease is routine spraying. “There are proprietary products on sale to stop the spread of blackspot which can be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions,” says Philip. With such a wide array of choices, it can be difficult to choose the right fungicidal spraying solution. Here are a few options to consider: Baking Soda Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda to a quarter gallon of warm water. Add another teaspoon of liquid to the solution and give it a stir. Transfer the concoction to a bottle and generously spray the leaves of your rose plant. Rather than a cure, this remedy works best as a precaution against the fungus. Bordeaux Brew The deadly combination of copper sulphate and hydrated lime in water kills fungus and deters insects. But be gentle on the spraying dose because it can scald plants. We recommend using it as a precautionary measure during spring and late winter. Neem Oil Being an organic pesticide, Neem oil is cold-pressed from the seeds of the neem tree. One of the most active ingredients for repelling pests is Azadirachtin, which is abundantly found in extracted Neem oil.3 The organic oil enters the rose plant’s system and protects from within. Just watch out not to spray oil on the leaves during hot sun because it burns the foliage. Sulphur Spraying sulphur may sound like poisoning your rose bush but in fact, it works like a charm to treat fungus diseases and prevent future occurrences. We recommend you check the label of the sulphur powder before purchasing. If the package reads ‘soluble’ for mixing with water, it’s good to go. 3) Prevention Is Better Than The Cure Perhaps the most common phrase you hear while speaking to a botanist regarding plant health is “prevention works better than cure”. “In terms of plant diseases, black spot and mildew are the two main diseases roses face,” says David Allison, a Horticultural Advisor for The National Allotment Society. “You could spray your plants with a fungicide, but prevention is better than cure, so cleanliness is important. “This includes removing dead leaves on the ground once they have fallen so that any spores are not carried over from one year to the next.” “Choose varieties with good disease resistance and give them a good environment,” Philip says. “Are they well fed, watered, sunny and have enough space for decent airflow? A happy vigorous plant will have better natural resistance than stressed plants.” There’s also this list of preventive measures that ought to keep the roses healthy and your heart happy: Use sunlight: Choosing a space with maximum sunlight per day (we are talking around 6-8 hours of it) will improve the resilience of the roses as well as its vigour. As black spots are caused by moisture, constant sunlight and heat, this prevents vapours from forming thus eliminating the risk of infection through fungal diseases. Provide space for air: When planting roses, be mindful to give enough space for the plants to ‘breathe’. When planted in close proximity, moisture will form between the rose bushes and eventually cause a fungal infection. Good air circulation through adequate space alleviates this risk and keeps the foliage dry. Water sufficiently: When watering, be careful not to wet the top side of the leaves which could retain moisture that never evaporates. Rose plants do not require much irrigation so just a little bit of watering at ground level is more than enough. Ensure garden tidiness: A clean garden is a sight to behold. You can start by clearing fallen leaves or stems and practise raking up space around your rose bushes. Not only does this decrease the risk of fungal disease but also improves soil integrity. “Using wood chip mulch can help to prevent black spot by preventing water and rain splash of fungal spores onto the foliage,” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “It will also help to optimise plant health by conserving soil moisture, providing slow release organic matter and helping to prevent compaction from footfall.” We hope you gained value from these solutions and that your roses continue to bloom proudly. References 1. Diplocarpon rosae. (n.d.). NatureSpot. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/diplocarpon-rosae 2. Black Spot of Rose. (2021, August 31). Cooperative Extension: Insect Pests, Ticks and Plant Diseases. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://extension.umaine.edu/ipm/ipddl/publications/5097e/ 3. Chaudhary, S., Kanwar, R., Sehgal, A., Cahill, D., Barrow, C., Sehgal, R., & Kanwar, J. (2017, May 8). Progress on Azadirachta indica Based Biopesticides in Replacing Synthetic Toxic Pesticides. Frontier. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.00610/full
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Slugs Are Hard To Control - Try These 8 Natural Solutions From Horticulturists
IN THIS GUIDE Know Your Enemy Why Are Slugs Hard To Control? What Does Slug Damage Look Like? How To Get Rid Of Slugs Naturally 1) A Pinch Of Salt 2) Plant Power 3) Water Strategically 4) Invite Some Hungry Guests 5) Put Up The Barricades 6) Bottoms Up With A Beer Trap 7) Lure Them In 8) Get Some Chickens References Slugs truly can be the bane of a gardener’s existence. These infuriating creatures can wreak havoc on your garden, ruining everything in their path and leaving behind their tell-tale trails of revolting slime. There are few things more upsetting to a gardener than finding their fruits, vegetables and other prized plants have been chewed beyond recognition. It feels like the slugs are making a declaration of war; and if that’s the case, we say bring it on. Yes, you could opt for shop-bought slug baits and killers, but these can be packed full of very nasty chemicals which can cause harm to pets and humans alike. For this reason, many gardeners are now opting for a more natural approach to reclaim their garden from these savage slugs. Know Your Enemy It is worth mentioning that most species of slugs are actually decomposers, and feed solely on animal waste and decaying plants.1 Unfortunately though, there are a few other species that ruin the reputation of all slugs. These kinds of slugs are the ones that love to dine on living plants, and they’re the real enemies. Slugs are thugs Slugs are shell-less, terrestrial, gastropod molluscs.2 They are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive cells; however, they do need a mate to reproduce.3 Slugs take about one year to reach adulthood and usually live for around two years, but during that time they can do an impressive amount of damage to your garden.4 With their tiny, grater-like teeth, slugs make short shrift of shredding leaves entirely and completely decimating seedlings. Why Are Slugs Hard To Control? Slugs tend to operate at night, spending the daytime hidden away under rocks and in damp little secret spaces. Come morning gardeners will see the damage but, with no slug in sight, it can be hard to tell which creature is to blame. For this reason, many gardeners will suspect the culprit is some sort of insect and will treat their plants with a general insecticide which will sadly not affect the slugs (and likely harm precious pollinators like bees). “Raised beds and container plants harbour pests like slugs” shares Horticulturist Val Bourne. “Slugs get down between the wood and the soil, whilst the normal things that eat them, like hedgehogs, frogs and toads, can’t get into the raised beds, providing more of a problem.” If you have managed to catch the slugs in the act and know that they are the real criminals, then you still have to work out what to do about them. Picking them out of your garden by hand is both revolting and relatively ineffective. What Does Slug Damage Look Like? Knowing how to identify slug damage is the first step to fully confirming the presence of these malevolent molluscs. Here are some fool-proof ways of identifying these garden slug thugs: Trails of slime are the primary indicator of slug activity, keep an eye out for it on plants, paths, rocks and mulch. Leaves with jagged holes in the centre as well as around the edges. Slugs adore soft fruit and veg, look out for perfectly round holes in your tomatoes, strawberries and other similar plants. Slugs can completely kill seedlings, so if you’re seeing them entirely gone, or with just tiny parts remaining, then slugs are almost certainly to blame. How To Get Rid Of Slugs Naturally Once you have identified that your garden is suffering from a slug infestation, it’s time to do something about it. “Slugs can be beneficial for eating rotting plant material, doing a cleaning job for you, so tolerate them where you can,” shares Val. As Val says, a small amount of plant damage can be tolerated, but if you are finding that these little monsters are getting out of hand, then we have put together a list of the best, natural ways to prevent and remove them from your garden. 1) A Pinch Of Salt This is arguably one of the most well-known natural ways to eliminate slugs. It’s effective, albeit not terribly humane. Although salt does essentially dissolve the slugs, it takes a long time to do so and they may suffer a lot. If you do opt for this method, take care not to put too much salt on the soil around your plants as, while salt is bad for slugs, it really isn’t great for plants either. 2) Plant Power One of the first things you can do to combat these crafty critters is to use the power of plants. There are plenty of plants that slugs not only dislike, but which actively deter them from your garden. Plants like garlic, rosemary and lavender (along with many others) produce scents that slugs simply cannot abide. Planting them close to plants that slugs do enjoy will help keep them at bay. Other plants traditionally used in companion planting are irresistible to pests (take marigolds for example) and it may be worth planting these to keep slug pests away from your main crops. “Ultimately, my goal is to provide a healthy ecosystem so that all the bugs eat each other and leave my crops alone, but in reality, that’s actually quite hard to do!” jokes Emma Bailey, a Garden Blogger. “I love companion planting for this. For example, I grow nasturtiums around my pumpkins in an attempt to keep the slugs away! “I also like to grow a few sacrificial crops around my plot. This year I planted lots of cabbages all around my raised beds to give the slugs something yummy to eat. It worked better than expected and I managed to get a whole row of carrots to germinate!” 3) Water Strategically Since slugs are active usually at night, then we highly recommend watering first thing in the morning. This gives your garden a chance to dry over the course of the day so come nightfall it isn’t so welcoming to them. It is also wise not to use loose mulches as these can be very attractive to slugs. Avoid woodchippings and hay or straw and instead opt for compost, leaf mould or wool pellets, which are marketed for their repelling effect on slugs. 4) Invite Some Hungry Guests Make sure you remove anything that slugs can hide under during the day such as old logs and bricks. With nowhere to hide, they will be fully exposed to hungry predators who will happily help you clear the slugs away. Birds, toads, hedgehogs and newts are all partial to slugs, so do your best to welcome them into your garden. By giving them a safe habitat to reside in, your slug problem will quickly be resolved. 5) Put Up The Barricades These mean molluscs have soft little bodies, and so a barricade of sharp, scratchy stuff you will have a really good shot at protecting your plants. Eggshells, sand and pine needles are all useful materials to ward off those vile visitors. Slugs also struggle to climb up slippery surfaces. By spraying WD40 or something similar on plant pots and containers, you can prevent these unwanted guests from reaching your plants. Copper tape also makes a most excellent barricade. The copper reacts with slugs slime and gives it a little electric shock. By laying down self-adhesive copper tape barricades, you stand a much better chance of defending your precious plants. 6) Bottoms Up With A Beer Trap Slugs love the smell of beer, so beer traps are usually remarkably successful at luring slugs to their death. Simply bury a container in the ground, fill it half full with beer, and the slugs will investigate, fall in, and drown. Take care not to completely submerge the container, instead leave two or three centimetres above ground to prevent helpful, slug-eating ground beetles from also falling to their death. 7) Lure Them In If you don’t want to waste precious beer, there are other ways to lure slugs in and make disposing of them more efficient. By using cat food, a bunch of old lettuce leaves or a hollowed melon, you can draw them all to one spot and then dispose of them altogether. It’s worth taking a torch and having a nighttime garden stroll to catch them when they are most active, allowing you to remove as many as possible in one go. 8) Get Some Chickens Not only do chickens make wonderful pets that provide you with fresh eggs every morning, they also have an insatiable appetite for slugs. If you are fortunate enough to have the space, we highly recommend adopting some ex-battery hens. Not only will you be giving them a second chance at life, they will reward you by removing every slug in sight. References 1. Naeve, L. (n.d.). Slug it Out with Slugs in Your Garden. Iowa State University. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2006/jun/070201.htm 2. Terrestrial Snails and Slugs. (n.d.). The Living World of Molluscs. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.molluscs.at/gastropoda/terrestrial.html?/gastropoda/terrestrial/slugs.html 3. Langley, L. (2015, June 22). Inside the Strange World of Slug Sex and Slime. Animals. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/inside-the-strange-world-of-slug-sex-and-slime 4. Slug Facts. (n.d.). The RSPB. Retrieved August 22, 2023, from https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/other-garden-wildlife/insects-and-other-invertebrates/worms-slugs-spiders/slug/
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Cats Pooping In Your Garden? Try These 12 Gardener-Approved Plants To Keep Them Away
IN THIS GUIDE Keeping Cats Out Which Plants Keep Cats Out? 1) Lavender 2) Rosemary 3) Rue 4) Curry Herb Plant 5) Pennyroyal 6) Scaredy Cat Plant 7) Any Plant With Thorns 8) Catnip 9) Citronella 10) Geraniums 11) Lemon Thyme 12) Oregano Other Methods To Deter Cats What If A Cat Already Pooped In My Garden? Beware Freshly Turned Soil References “How do you stop cats pooping in your garden?” It’s a question that haunts gardeners across the country, but thankfully there are some simple steps you can take to stop these feline visitors leaving unwanted contributions in your garden. This guide focuses on plants that provide a natural and inoffensive way of keeping cats out of your garden, so that you can enjoy the peace of mind of not having to clean up their mess, without causing them any long term discomfort or distress. Keeping Cats Out Unfortunately, while cats are cute, their excrement can have a real negative impact on your garden. Contaminated soil is a problem for plants and gardeners, so it’s best to prevent it from happening in the first place. Cats are also known to dig soil to prepare an area to be used as a toilet, which can be detrimental to plants or crops being grown there. Rather than inspecting flower beds every day and removing unwanted manure donations by hand, many gardeners make the decision to keep cats at bay by other means. Which Plants Keep Cats Out? The following twelve plants are renowned for their ability to keep cats away. They are best situated at entry points to your garden or mixed into the borders of flower beds. Cats will be less inclined to cross them or walk past them due to the smell or texture. They’ll be wary of jumping over, too: especially if they can’t see past the plant. 1) Lavender We’ve put this at the top of the list because the smell that cats find so unpleasant is what makes the plant so appealing for humans, making this a very popular cat deterrent. Lavender grows all year round and will provide a nice purple hue to your flower beds. The more creative chefs amongst you may be able to incorporate it into your culinary efforts as well. 2) Rosemary Following on from the pleasant smell of lavender, rosemary is another popular cat deterrent with a human appeal. It shares the same benefits as lavender – evergreen and attractive – but can be used more easily in your cooking. 3) Rue An ornamental herb that flowers with bold yellow colouring. It is quite short-lived and has a shrubby habit. The plant is said to have an offensive smell and taste for cats, so they’re unlikely to tolerate being in its presence for long! 4) Curry Herb Plant “Cats don’t like curry”, one website accurately observes in their description of this herb. Cats and other animals don’t like the smell that’s released when they brush past this plant, so they’ll take steps to avoid it. 5) Pennyroyal A member of the mint family that emits a smell similar to peppermint when crushed up or brushed past. As with the other strongly scented plants in this list, cats aren’t a fan of the smell and would rather avoid it entirely. 6) Scaredy Cat Plant A native of Africa and India, the jury is out on whether this plant works.1 If you take a chance with this plant, make sure you don’t pay over the odds from a seller trying to leverage its name and reputation. “Also, remember that it is not hardy, so will need to be brought under cover over winter,” shares Master Horticulturist Peter Lickorish. 7) Any Plant With Thorns Spiky thorns are a less subtle deterrent than smells and scents, and no cat is going to risk skewering itself to go to the toilet. If you opt for the thorny approach you have lots of options: rose bushes will give you pretty flowers if you tend them carefully while still keeping cats at bay, whereas dense shrubs like blackberry or even holly will create formidable barriers. Shrubs are especially effective as border defences: if a cat comes up against a thick wall of spiky holly on their way into your garden, it’s likely that they’ll turn around and look elsewhere instead. 8) Catnip If you want to come at things from another angle, you can plant catnip in one part of your garden to lure cats away from other areas. This plant – also known as catswort, catwort, and catmint – gives cats a natural high that most can’t resist. The dried form is popular at pet shops and is used in all sorts of cat toys, but not many people know that you can grow your own at home. If cats smell this they’ll almost certainly stop to investigate, so consider planting a little bit in a tucked away area of your garden to tempt the cats away from your prized beds. 9) Citronella “Cats are not fans of citrus scents, so this Pelargonium can deter cats from jumping into pots or small borders, but this plant is not hardy,” says Peter. “For plants to grow year-round outdoors with a strong citrus fragrance over winter, your options are sadly limited.” 10) Geraniums “Another plant using fragrance as a defence from cats, Geraniums cover the soil, further reducing the likelihood of it being used as a toilet,” Peter says. 11) Lemon Thyme “This is a compact plant, which packs a lemony punch,” explains Peter. “Suited to hot, dry conditions, it could be planted in fine gravel which cats consider a litter tray.” 12) Oregano “Chemically, oregano has similar components to the Plectranthus mentioned earlier, so another one cats are not likely to be drawn to,” says Peter. “This is maybe one for a mix of cat-deterrent plants, rather than being relied upon on its own.” Other Methods To Deter Cats Consider this section a bonus: here we’ll detail a few other ways to keep cats away from your flower beds. Laying mulch on top of your soil is an effective defence because it looks less appealing as a makeshift litter tray than fresh soil. “Choose your mulch carefully, as bark chippings may attract cats, whereas cats do not generally like pine needles,” saya Peter. “Pine needles are a useful mulch for acidifying soil if this is beneficial.” Cats aren’t fans of other surfaces like chicken wire or specially made spike mats, either: laying these down is another way to encourage them to go elsewhere. And don’t worry, although spike mats don’t sound particularly nice, they’re designed to not hurt cats. Tapping back into their sense of smell, you can use other scents to keep cats away. One fearsome example is lion dung, which tricks cats into thinking a bigger cat has already claimed this patch. No neighbourhood moggy will dare step foot in a lion’s den If you’re less interested in psychological warfare, things like citrus peelings, coffee grounds or even vinegar will put cats off. You can scatter these things, or use sprays that contain their scent. Remember that you’ll need to replenish these smells when you notice cats coming back into the garden, as they’ll fade over time. This is more likely after strong rainfall. What If A Cat Already Pooped In My Garden? If a cat has left a present before you’ve had the chance to put up your plant-based defences, there are a few steps you can take to safely remove it. You’ll need thick gloves to keep your hands clean, a digging tool, and a sealable plastic bag. Scoop the poop into the bag along with a couple of inches of soil beneath it to make sure you’ve got the lot, then tie a knot in the bag and throw it in the bin. (Note: it’s not safe to compost cat droppings, so you’ll want to throw it in your main bin). Disinfect the gloves and the digging tool before using either again, just to make sure they’re not contaminated. Beware Freshly Turned Soil “Freshly turned over soil seems to be a lure for the cats in my neighbourhood, so cultivating soil and planting immediately afterwards might be a good idea,” adds Peter. “Consider using these plants and tricks to keep bird feeders a little safer from felines, but remember that hanging them near dense cover could give cats space to hide and stalk prey.” By planting the right things in the right places, you can discourage cats from visiting your garden. References 1. Coleus caninus. (n.d.). Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:445934-1
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