Roses will bloom and stay healthy this spring thanks to £2 Victorian-era hack – it prevents unsightly yellow spots too

The Sun

13-05-2025

Abigail Wilson, Senior Digital Writer
Published: Invalid Date,
WHILE many of us will be enjoying spending time in our gardens thanks to the warm weather, it's very important that in between your sunbathing sessions you take care of your plants, particularly your roses.
With the weather heating up and summer around the corner, gardeners must monitor their roses to ensure diseases do not spread.
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Rust - a fungal infection - is a very common disease found amongst roses that spreads when water sits on the leaves for a long time.
Rust will reduce a rose's ability to photosynthesise and the lack of energy will weaken the plant, meaning it cannot grow properly.
So if you want to avoid a stunted rose bush that cannot produce any flowers and will slowly wilt away, you've come to the right place and will need to take notes.
But gardeners mustn't be alarmed, as rust can be easy to treat if it is caught early enough.
In May, rust is usually just beginning to spread, so make sure to regularly inspect your roses and note that it is commonly found on the lower leaves.
It can look like orange or yellow spots on leaves that will eventually begin to move up the plant if left untouched.
And luckily for you, gardening experts have sworn by a Victorian-era trick that will work a treat at banishing rust and ensuring your roses bloom this month.
So for those eager to ensure their roses stay healthy and vibrant this spring, this purse-friendly hack which will cost you just £2.79, is one you won't want to miss.
The gardening experts at Jackson and Perkins have stressed the importance of immediately removing infected leaves as soon as you spot them, as they advised: 'Being very careful not to touch unaffected rose plants while pruning out infected plant material, dispose of the pruned material immediately.
'If it is allowed in your area, burning the pruned material is the most effective way of disposing of it. Do NOT put this material in your compost pile and do not dispose of it in the woods.'
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Rust can sit on leaves and the spores will begin to release in spring, so make sure you do not leave any infected foliage in your garden.
Once you have cut back the infection, you will need to apply a fungicide every seven to 10 days, as this is the life cycle of rust spores.
Top gardening trends of 2025
Gardening experts at Barnsdale Gardens has shared the top gardening trends of 2025.
Matrix planting
It seems that a top planting trend for this year is going to be Matrix Planting.
In essence, planting in groups or blocks to give an effect of being wild whilst actually being carefully managed.
Selection of the plants is essential, to give year-round interest either with flowers, seed heads or frosted/snowy spent flower heads. Some recommend using plants that seed around, but this could make managing your matrix planting harder to keep under control.
Chrysanthemum comeback
I hope that the humble Chrysanthemum makes as much of a comeback this year as Dahlias have over recent years, because the simple single flowered types, such as 'Innocence' and 'Cottage Apricot' would be spectacular within a matrix scheme.
The hardy varieties are so easy to grow in a sunny spot and give such a valuable burst of late summer and autumn colour that would lift any dull- looking border.
Blended borders
For some time now we have been promoting the growing of veg within ornamental borders and I think this could really take off this year.
The choice of ornamental-looking varieties available in seed catalogues is phenomenal and, if managed correctly, visitors to your garden will not even realise that you have veg growing!
Must-have tool
My secret is out. I discovered the Hori Hori a couple of years ago and now it seems so is everyone else.
It is such a well-made, adaptable tool that can be used as a trowel or weeding tool in the garden that and everyone I speak to who have used it absolutely would not now be without it. Enough said!
You can buy treatments at many local garden centres, but one natural way the experts recommended to get rid of rust is with neem oil.
The experts explained: 'Many home gardeners turn to neem oil as a treatment for infestations of mites, fungus and other plant diseases.
Used for hundreds of years as a treatment for agricultural issues, neem oil tends to have a sulfurous and garlicky smell
Experts at Jackson and Perkins
'Neem oil is distilled from the seeds of the neem tree and is a naturally occurring fungicide and pesticide.
'Used for hundreds of years as a treatment for agricultural issues, neem oil tends to have a sulfurous and garlicky smell.'
Neem oil is most effective during the early stages of rose rust and can also be used as a fungal suppressant to prevent the disease from reaching the plant.
6 Spring Gardening Jobs You Can Do in 60 mins
A gardening pro, or just starting your planting journey? Nigel Lawton, a gardening expert at Dobbies Garden Centres has shared the six jobs you can do to transform your garden in under an hour.
1. Tidy up
Remove dead leaves, neaten beds and borders, remove any seeds and apply a good layer of mulch over the surface with organic peat-free compost. TIME: 60 mins
2. Design beds and borders
Trim back winter flowering plants where blooms have started to fade. Start by removing any dead, diseased or damaged branches, and get rid of any branches that cross over, Nigel says.
Then prune summer flowering shrubs like Buddleia, Lavatera and hardy Fuschias to allow room for new growth. As well as encouraging new growth in the plant by removing dead material, pruning will also allow you to control the height and shape of your plants. TIME: 50 mins
3. Create a cosy patio
If you have a patio, transform it into a cosy socialising spot.
Start by giving that a good clean with a jet wash to quickly complete the job in under an hour. You can further liven up the area by adding some garden furniture paired with some cushions, some throws, and an outdoor rug. TIME: 30 mins
4. Refresh pots
To enjoy instant colour in your garden this spring, Nigel recommends refreshing your pots, hanging baskets, and window boxes with early season flowers for a country garden effect.
Plant in threes or fives to create a impactful display with small, medium, and large plants of different heights beside your door. TIME: 15 mins
5. Lawncare
Another beginner-friendly task you can do to spruce up your garden is taking care of the lawn by cultivating the soil and making sure the area is level and firm.
Rake out any moss or dead grass, and apply lawn treatement in late spring. TIME: 15-30 mins
6. Welcome wildlife
Spring is the perfect time to welcome wildlife into your garden as small animals come out of hibernation and new birds hatch into life.
To ensure your garden is a safe space for wildlife, Nigel suggests dedicating a small section of your garden to creating a wildlife-friendly habitat with pollinating plants and places for small animals and insects to shelter.
You can create a safe space for them by stacking branches in a shaded spot to help protect them from the elements. All of this can be done in under an hour. TIME: 40 mins
Not only this, but it's also a natural way to treat roses without using chemicals that could harm animals.
However, you must be careful using it on hot, dry days - that reach 25C or above - as it can cause leaves to burn if used improperly.
If you fancy giving this simple trick a try, you can order neem oil from a variety of different online retailers - and you'll even find versions of it in Superdrug and Tesco.
But for those strapped for cash, you'll be pleased to know that you can order it on Amazon for as cheap as £2.79, making this trick great for those looking to cut costs.