Saving a rose... black spot

[vfem]

I have a feeling you all are going to tell me no... but thought I'd ask.

My Don Jaun Climbing rose has black spot and I've been cutting off infecting leaves and stems. I've been treating it with anti-fungal since I caught it last year. It seemed to be doing ok. I did one fungal treatment over the winter. It is now filling back out, new leaves, ect. I went to go spray again and low and behold, I've noticed more and more infected stems. I cleared the ground around it and fertilized, but apparently its out of control.

Can I keep trimming and treating and hope.... or do I just need to remove this gorgeous climbing I've come to love.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

is there any way you could just cut the whole thing down, spray it, and let it regrow all over again? i was also reading about making a garlic spray to help keep the fungus away. what are you currently using for a spray? it sounds like you should be spraying every 7-14 days and more often if there is lots of rain. i also saw a recipe for a baking soda spray that you want to put on early morning, you want to mix 1 tsp baking soda with 1 quart of water.

you might also want to dust with sulfur powder to help keep the fungus spores from multiplying.

 

[vfem]

I've done the baking soda mix, but I'm using a neem oil spray now.

I'm willing to go hardcore to save it if I need something stronger... then I can go back to the preventative applications if I have to.

Maybe I will cut it way back, hate to as its finally grown up and over the top of my arbor. It was so thick and beautiful in bloom

 

[catjac1975]

There are organic sprays for roses. I think it can be saved. You might want to use the hardcore chemicals for a treatment or 2. You have to spray before you see signs of disease. It can be prevented not cured. Once under control you probably need to spray weekly. Milk or baking soda are supposed to work.

 

[bj taylor]

sorry you're having trouble w/your don juan. they are unfortunately particularly susceptible to black spot. if you're not able to get it under control & have to replace - maybe consider an antique. they're generally alot more immune to black spot & are tough. i looked in a catalog for a rose similar to don juan. i didn't find a perfect match.
for a red climber, repeat bloom - American Pilar (1902) it's a rambler that blooms from late spring well into summer. it is known to be in some of the most famous rose gardens in the world. it grows 12 to 20' zone 6-9. it's downfall are two - no fragrance and only blooms once a season.

Climbing American Beauty (1909). 12-15' it is fragrant, zone 5-9, downside - blooms only once a season

Dortmund (1955). 15-30', zone 5--9. repeat bloomer. downside - no fragrance.

Will Scarlet (1948), 10-12', zone 6-9, repeat bloomer, has nice hips, no fragrance.

a good David Austin rose is Tess Of The d'Urbervilles. climbs up to 8' with large red blooms. has good old rose fragrance. it comes the closest in color to your don juan.

those were the only reds i saw - there are many more, but i thought you might be looking for red specifically.
anyway, good luck with your don juan - hope you can get it under control

 

[vfem]

Is the climbing american beauty a white?

 

[bj taylor]

no it's a red. it's not a relative of American Beauty despite the name

 

[thistlebloom]

One more thing to add to all of the good advice you've been given, - since the fungus is spread by splashing (among other things ) and you have been keeping the leaf litter cleaned up, I would also mulch around the base with clean straw, and change it every week as long as your weather was drippy. That will keep any spores on the soil from splashing back up. Black spot won't survive in the soil for very long, I forget exactly. but it doesn't actually live in the soil, so that's good news.

My mom lives on the coast and has a lot of fungus problems, but one thing she swears by is curly parsley planted at the base of her roses ( hybrid teas ). She says she hasn't had a single leaf with blackspot since she planted the parsley. Might be worth a try....

 

[April Manier]

I know we are an organic farm here, but....

I still use systemic fungicide on my roses--there, I said it! But they are far from the feild. I am a rose collector. We live in Oregon with overhead water. Blackspot is a reality here. I have a Saint Cecelia which is one of the most delicious smelling roses ever, but it is so bad about blackspot.

If it were me, I would cut it back, take all the leaves off and treat with a systemic fungicide now and again in a month. Once again in Mid summer and again in the spring next year. I have gotten many a rose back where others would give up, Also throw some Epsom salts out and a few banana peals at the base.

If you do decide to remove it I would not replant for a few seasons.

Good luck. I hate to see a rose go!

 

[vfem]

I sure an going to fight for it, it smells AMAZING! And the fragrance is the ONLY reason I bother with roses. No smell, no sell.

I've been collecting the nasty leaves and throwing them in the trash of course, no composting on that nasty stuff. I have TONS of curly leaf parsley that pop up all over my yard. I will move some over there and see if it helps. I have gerber daisies planted next to it now.