Reference

Disease and Pests

A practical field guide to the main disease and pest issues documented in this garden, with notes on what showed up and what helped.

Issue

Black Spot

Issue

Powdery Mildew

Issue

Mosaic

Issue

Aphids

Issue

Pocket Gophers

Fungal disease

Black Spot

Black spot shows up as circular black blotches on the upper leaf surface, usually starting low on the plant and moving upward. Infected leaves yellow and drop early, especially in wet weather.

What I did

  • Removed affected leaves but kept healthy green growth.
  • Snipped dead branches and pruned as soon as new spotting showed up.
  • Watered at the base so the foliage stayed drier.
  • Cleaned pruners with rubbing alcohol.
  • Hard pruned in fall and again in spring to help the plant recover.
Frederic Mistral with black spot in 2019 Frederic Mistral without black spot in 2020

Fungal disease

Powdery Mildew

Leaves become covered with a white, powdery fuzz. Good air circulation and careful watering help reduce the conditions mildew likes best.

What I did

  • Cut off affected growth.
  • Wiped clippers with alcohol before moving to another plant.
  • Directed summer watering toward the root zone instead of the leaves.
Powdery mildew in 2021 Additional powdery mildew example in 2021

Virus symptom

Mosaic

Bright yellow patterns made of wavy lines can show up on leaves. This page currently documents the symptom to watch for more than a full treatment story.

Insect pest

Aphids

Aphids are soft-bodied insects that can be red, green, yellow, or black. They leave sticky honeydew behind, which often attracts ants.

Garden pest

Pocket Gophers

Pocket gophers are stout-bodied tunnelers with small ears, small eyes, and strong digging claws. The damage tends to show up as fresh mounds and underground disturbance around the planting beds.

What I did

  • Flattened the newly mounded soil.
  • Seeded the disturbed area with grass.
  • Trimmed nearby rose growth back from the burrow area.
Gopher tunnel damage in 2021

Examples

Additional photo references