Question
I live in Chicago, IL.  I am in the process of trying to care for my Mother's roses.  The roses seem to have developed these round black spots of various sizes on the leaves.  I have attempted to do online research and think maybe it could be blackspot.  The leaves eventually turn yellow and fall off.  Can this kill the roses?  I wanted to know if there is a home remedy to take care of this and if there is how do I apply it and how will I know that it has worked.  Also is there a fertilizer that I can make in my kitchen for the roses, they really do not seem to have many blooms.  Please at any point let me know if I am not on the right track. She has Jackson and Perkins floribundas in the front yard and Flower Carpet roses in the back yard. Thanking you in advance for your assistance

Answer
Yes, it sounds like you have Blackspot on those Roses.  Not your fault.  Roses are Blackspot Magnets.  Millions of dollars are spent by breeders trying to invent Roses that are 'Blackspot Resistant'.  They succeed -- but note the word 'resistant', not 'proof'.  You just can't stop it.  Under the right conditions, Blackspot will get you every time.

Roses need TONS of Sun to do well.  Not only will Sun inhibit Blackspot, but it will give the leaves the sunlight they need to make flowers.  Those Rose flowers are beautiful, but they take a lot of energy.  Sun is a necessity.

I hate to tell you this, but the only way to get rid of this Blackspot problem is to spray those Roses.  Your Mother may have a good quality hand sprayer.  If not you should run out and spring for one, because it is much more effective than a small container of spray that you use like you were washing windows with Windex or spraying Armoral on the car hubcaps.  Those Roses must be drenched with Fungus Killer (Blackspot is a Fungus).

You can make this Fungus Killer in your kitchen, fortunately.  Mix 3 tsp Baking Soda in a bucket of water dissolved with 1 Tbs dish
detergent in a bucket of water.

Hose down all leaves before you spray and let them dry.  Wait until
evening.  Then spray under the dry leaves.  

THE SECRET TO SUCCESSFUL BLACKSPOT SPRAYING: reach UNDER THE LEAVES.  

Do this every day.  Because your Roses are under attack.  

Next year, do it as a preventive measure.  Don't wait for damage.  Spray before you go on vacation.  Get someone to come in and spray weekly while you are away.

Personally, I just expect to get blackspot in the Garden.  I spray everything every weekend.  

You'll see all kinds of chemicals in pretty bottles at the store:  Mancozeb, chlorothalonil, benomyl for blackspot.  You'll see copper-sulfur mix -- VERY dangerous because copper is poisonous) recommended by the University of Nebraska.  

One gardener sprays with 2 Parts Fat Free Milk mixed with 2 Parts Water.  Someone else sprays weekly with 1 tsp. Baking Soda mixed with a quart of water for the entire month of June, then a little less for the rest of the summer.  

One gardener's homemade Blackspot remedy takes a Gallon of the basic Baking Soda recipe above and adds 1 Tbs. fish emulsion, seaweed, Vitamin B1 and molasses. I might try this aomeday.  If I have to.  It's a little much for me.  I tend to roll my eyes when I hear about people giving their plants Vitamin B.  But I could be wrong.

The company Rose Flora (www.better-flora.com) offers their own brand of Blackspot formula.  Agorganics (www.agorganics.com/index) sells safe herbicides, pesticides and fungicides.  The Safer line makes little  bottles of Rose spray that are too much work for me but they are easy to  find in the store.  

You should back this Spray System up with another Fungus fighter: Cornmeal.  Sprinkle it around the base of the Rose bushes your mother has.  Works like a charm.

For fertilizer, you should pick up a nice Rose Food at Home Depot of Lowes.  Rose Food is custom made for Roses, which need their own special diet.

That covers it.  Keep me posted.  How 'm I doing?