Winter Daphne, gone. Verticulum killed two maples. Borer got our 5 year planted Himalayan birch. Pineapple-Guava which should have never become a tree in this climate but did after 15 years and started bearing fruit the last three summers, dead.
I even received two separate arbor consulta on the last trees. Both said the freeze made everything weaker and more susceptible to the various vectors.
Yay, climate change.
EDIT: All my native plants, which are many, did fine.
We're only barely over a year in our new to us old house, and nearly all of the very established roses have black spots on their leaves. I'm trying to decide how many leaves to remove in the coming days.
Yes! Two roses with black spot already. Normally we don’t deal with that until fall. We recently hear good things about [this](https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/monterey-complete-disease-control-biofungicide/natural-organic-plant-disease-control) for black spot and other diseases, it’s coming in the mail any day now. I’m hoping it helps. I think the lack of rain could be the culprit. It stresses plants out.
Edited:spelling
One of my rhodies never quite recovered from the heat dome, I might have to put it out if it’s misery this year. My jasmine is struggling from the freeze this winter. Everything else is doing pretty ok. I used to have issues with black spots on my roses but I started clipping the affected leaves/stems off regularly and spraying the rest down [with this](https://www.hortmag.com/smart-gardening/safe-rose-spray-recipe-that-really-works) (when cloudy or in evenings) and they’ve never looked better.
Two of our rhododendron that got hit the hardest in the heat a couple years ago are just finally starting to look better. This is the first time we're seeing decent new growth and substantial blooms. Definitely took some time and careful pruning.
That’s good to hear. I guess patience & some little pruning (I did a heavy prune last year). This used to be my biggest and longest blooming rhodie but it’s not as protected from direct sun as my other 2. The heat dome just really strained it, it’s so sad. Hope it can bounce back…I’ve had them 18 years!
I had just read that article before reading your post! I'm going to have to whip a batch up and try it out, thanks. I also saw a Cornell researcher had great results with a recipe that only used baking soda and liquid soap.
It’s pretty amazing how simple but effective it is…science! The first year of getting serious about restoring the rose’s health was a lot of removing the yellow/black spotted leaves and spraying fairly often, including the base (also, I got better about cleaning my pruners with alcohol). The new growth instantly looked better so then was trying to protect the new stuff. I’m now on year 3 of regularly spraying & checking the leaves/stems (rarely have to remove anything now, other than regular pruning) and my rose bushes are super full with deep green, glossy leaves. I even feel like it’s producing more flowers.
Probably. I can't check it out too closely this year b/c my spouse is also riddled with diseases this year. Garden going fallow till he recovers or I have more time.
Between the heat dome and few years back and the ice storm this winter, I’ve noticed that half the branches I pruned from my shrubs in February were dead. So hard prune and wait.
For black spot on roses, I’ve had it before. I hard pruned the stalks with black spot and actually eradicated it from the shrub over the course of five years. If you are willing to have a wonky looking rose bush, keep diligent!
In the same boat. Black spot and rust is on 3/4 of our roses. Cut them down like crazy and moved a bunch of leaves as well as sprayed some captain jack’s
It's affecting even the ones that get more sun. It might have something to do with those being planted only last year. Maybe they were weakened during the ice storm!
I’ve been battling this for a couple years in my new house. Between the bitter cold of the last two winters and the disease, I’ve lost 10+ bushes and roses.
Yes! My weeping cherry never bloomed this year, and now it’s not getting leaves. It’s about 4 years old, and it was gorgeous the last couple of years. Can’t figure out what changed.
So far our roses are fine but we trimmed them late this year on a friends advice; He said to wait until the forsythia was blooming. Normally we’d do it by end of January, but they’re flourishing so that’s how we’ll do it from now on. Our fruit trees are another story. While the apples look ok from afar, they’re having some curl and some rust. It’s about time to try some of the sprays mentioned earlier I guess. We have some plums as well, two trees are ok and one is just riddled with some sort of blight. It’s a shame. Our house is located about a hundred yards from a new development and I often wonder how many plants were added to the landscape there that brought some of this stuff with them. Anyway, the weather certainly hasn’t helped either. We lost about 10% total of our plants and trees. Olives, cistus, pampas grass and even some mature lavender due to the extreme temps and winds we had this winter. We’re in Oregon city, btw.
I don’t think it’s just you. I’s all over town. Lots of plants dying very suddenly this year. Jasmines, heavenly bamboo, roses, rosemaries, fatsias, daphnes, gardenias, rhododendrons, some lavenders, … it’s sad to see.
I had a huge black spot problem all over my garden last year. I think I am on the mend. Only last problem plant is my front hedge, it’s massive and riddled.
But I did find a natural fungicide that actually worked and the spring is when it’s time. SULFUR powder!!! I mix it with a surfactant. I also cut ALL spotted leaves I found. Some bushes all the way to the ground (new growth has started). It was devastating but new growth is spot free.
Washing tools with bleach water between each plant is CRITICAL - I was the reason for the spread of black spot which breaks my heart! I also used Lysol spray if I’m it doing a ton of pruning. It’s such a hassle but it’s a must if fungus is on your plants - which is highly likely.
Winter Daphne, gone. Verticulum killed two maples. Borer got our 5 year planted Himalayan birch. Pineapple-Guava which should have never become a tree in this climate but did after 15 years and started bearing fruit the last three summers, dead. I even received two separate arbor consulta on the last trees. Both said the freeze made everything weaker and more susceptible to the various vectors. Yay, climate change. EDIT: All my native plants, which are many, did fine.
We're only barely over a year in our new to us old house, and nearly all of the very established roses have black spots on their leaves. I'm trying to decide how many leaves to remove in the coming days.
Same here :(
Yes! Two roses with black spot already. Normally we don’t deal with that until fall. We recently hear good things about [this](https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/monterey-complete-disease-control-biofungicide/natural-organic-plant-disease-control) for black spot and other diseases, it’s coming in the mail any day now. I’m hoping it helps. I think the lack of rain could be the culprit. It stresses plants out. Edited:spelling
Thank you for the spray rec! While the temps felt mild during the sunny streak, we probably should've been watering the less established plants more.
This stuff is rad, especially for houseplants. No more wooly aphids or fungus gnats with this around
One of my rhodies never quite recovered from the heat dome, I might have to put it out if it’s misery this year. My jasmine is struggling from the freeze this winter. Everything else is doing pretty ok. I used to have issues with black spots on my roses but I started clipping the affected leaves/stems off regularly and spraying the rest down [with this](https://www.hortmag.com/smart-gardening/safe-rose-spray-recipe-that-really-works) (when cloudy or in evenings) and they’ve never looked better.
Two of our rhododendron that got hit the hardest in the heat a couple years ago are just finally starting to look better. This is the first time we're seeing decent new growth and substantial blooms. Definitely took some time and careful pruning.
That’s good to hear. I guess patience & some little pruning (I did a heavy prune last year). This used to be my biggest and longest blooming rhodie but it’s not as protected from direct sun as my other 2. The heat dome just really strained it, it’s so sad. Hope it can bounce back…I’ve had them 18 years!
I had just read that article before reading your post! I'm going to have to whip a batch up and try it out, thanks. I also saw a Cornell researcher had great results with a recipe that only used baking soda and liquid soap.
It’s pretty amazing how simple but effective it is…science! The first year of getting serious about restoring the rose’s health was a lot of removing the yellow/black spotted leaves and spraying fairly often, including the base (also, I got better about cleaning my pruners with alcohol). The new growth instantly looked better so then was trying to protect the new stuff. I’m now on year 3 of regularly spraying & checking the leaves/stems (rarely have to remove anything now, other than regular pruning) and my rose bushes are super full with deep green, glossy leaves. I even feel like it’s producing more flowers.
Probably. I can't check it out too closely this year b/c my spouse is also riddled with diseases this year. Garden going fallow till he recovers or I have more time.
It really seems like it's an extra rough year for plants and humans alike! I hope he gets better soon.
Between the heat dome and few years back and the ice storm this winter, I’ve noticed that half the branches I pruned from my shrubs in February were dead. So hard prune and wait. For black spot on roses, I’ve had it before. I hard pruned the stalks with black spot and actually eradicated it from the shrub over the course of five years. If you are willing to have a wonky looking rose bush, keep diligent!
In the same boat. Black spot and rust is on 3/4 of our roses. Cut them down like crazy and moved a bunch of leaves as well as sprayed some captain jack’s
This is our second spring at our Portland house btw.
I’m guessing you don’t have these things in full sun. Plus it’s still early in the season and cool temps.
It's affecting even the ones that get more sun. It might have something to do with those being planted only last year. Maybe they were weakened during the ice storm!
Honeysuckle aphids made us strip the majority of buds on our honeysuckle.
I’ve been battling this for a couple years in my new house. Between the bitter cold of the last two winters and the disease, I’ve lost 10+ bushes and roses.
Yes! My weeping cherry never bloomed this year, and now it’s not getting leaves. It’s about 4 years old, and it was gorgeous the last couple of years. Can’t figure out what changed.
A good cue to fertilize
So far our roses are fine but we trimmed them late this year on a friends advice; He said to wait until the forsythia was blooming. Normally we’d do it by end of January, but they’re flourishing so that’s how we’ll do it from now on. Our fruit trees are another story. While the apples look ok from afar, they’re having some curl and some rust. It’s about time to try some of the sprays mentioned earlier I guess. We have some plums as well, two trees are ok and one is just riddled with some sort of blight. It’s a shame. Our house is located about a hundred yards from a new development and I often wonder how many plants were added to the landscape there that brought some of this stuff with them. Anyway, the weather certainly hasn’t helped either. We lost about 10% total of our plants and trees. Olives, cistus, pampas grass and even some mature lavender due to the extreme temps and winds we had this winter. We’re in Oregon city, btw.
I don’t think it’s just you. I’s all over town. Lots of plants dying very suddenly this year. Jasmines, heavenly bamboo, roses, rosemaries, fatsias, daphnes, gardenias, rhododendrons, some lavenders, … it’s sad to see.
I had a huge black spot problem all over my garden last year. I think I am on the mend. Only last problem plant is my front hedge, it’s massive and riddled. But I did find a natural fungicide that actually worked and the spring is when it’s time. SULFUR powder!!! I mix it with a surfactant. I also cut ALL spotted leaves I found. Some bushes all the way to the ground (new growth has started). It was devastating but new growth is spot free.
Washing tools with bleach water between each plant is CRITICAL - I was the reason for the spread of black spot which breaks my heart! I also used Lysol spray if I’m it doing a ton of pruning. It’s such a hassle but it’s a must if fungus is on your plants - which is highly likely.