Black spot is a common fungal disease that affects roses everywhere, but one simple trick can help protect plants.
The scoop
Sophie Valentine (@lookinsidemygarden) shared a simple hack to help prevent black spot on your rose plants, and it involves underplanting the roses with varieties of salvia.
Black spot is caused by the fungus Diplocarpon rosae, which causes the leaves of the rose plant to develop black spots and drop their leaves prematurely, which can cause long-term harm to the plant.
Salvias, also known as sages, are perfect companion plants to plant alongside roses because they are aromatic plants that release a scent when they have warmed up in the sun. This scent contains sulfur, which acts as a natural fungicide and protects the rose plants from black spot.
Sophie Valentine shared that this neat trick has kept her roses free from black spot. She regularly takes cuttings to grow in the greenhouse over winter to ensure she has a free supply of salvia plants every year.
How it's working
Great hacks like these can have several benefits for gardeners, including saving money on expensive fungicides as well as keeping your plants healthy and happy for you to enjoy.
Gardening is a great way to spend time outside and has a number of health benefits, from keeping people active to improving their mental health. Connecting with the natural world can help relieve stress and anxiety, improve mood, and can be a great way to grow your own produce and reap the benefits of putting healthy food on your table at a fraction of what it would cost in the store.
Getting outside in the garden can also help support the local ecosystem by providing food and shelter for local wildlife, such as pollinators, which are vital for food production.
What people are saying
The post received a lot of attention from excited gardeners.
"It really really works," one gardener wrote. "I started doing this last year and it's made a massive difference."
Another person wrote that they couldn't wait to try out the hack: "Really helpful thanks, I will give this a go … off to the garden centre I go!"
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