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Rose blackspot then slug worm- advice needed.
Super gardener
Posts: 106
in Plants
My Alnwick rose has, as usual had a period of blackspot this summer- it's supposed to be resistant but we are in a bad area for it. It was then ravaged by what I think were rose slugworm - couldn't see the things but many leaves were left skeletal and brown- it looked awful.
so today I have started to chop it right back to within 6" of ground, partly because it seemed to have blackspot (dark purple spots) down the stems, and partly because the stems look so daft without the leaves. However there are a few unaffected stems with flower buds on. Advice please as to best way forward.
I am wondering if the slug worm has bred on a nearby overgrown ivy and laurel which seemed covered in cobwebs with tiny white flecks in them- it happened last year too. I have cut the laurel back hard and am planning to reduce the ivy/maybe even replace with euonymus. I am also planning to keep the soil hoed regularly during the winter, as apparently this exposes the slug worm larvae/pupae for birds to feed on.
so today I have started to chop it right back to within 6" of ground, partly because it seemed to have blackspot (dark purple spots) down the stems, and partly because the stems look so daft without the leaves. However there are a few unaffected stems with flower buds on. Advice please as to best way forward.
I am wondering if the slug worm has bred on a nearby overgrown ivy and laurel which seemed covered in cobwebs with tiny white flecks in them- it happened last year too. I have cut the laurel back hard and am planning to reduce the ivy/maybe even replace with euonymus. I am also planning to keep the soil hoed regularly during the winter, as apparently this exposes the slug worm larvae/pupae for birds to feed on.
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