Late Fall Pruning & Black Spot Management in Pittsburgh

It's not too late to prune in the Pittsburgh area, even with 30°F nights coming. A post-frost cleanup is actually ideal—fewer leaves, clearer structure.

Pruning English Roses (David Austin Types)

• Don't hard-prune until year 3. Let them establish their natural shape.
• After year 3, cut back by one-third in early spring.
• Now: only remove dead, damaged, or pencil-thin canes. Trim long whippy ones to prevent wind rock.

Black Spot Reality Check

Spores are everywhere. You can't cure it—only suppress it. The key: spray preventively in early spring before leaves emerge. Weekly baking soda spray (3 tsp/gallon + 1 tbsp dish soap) or milk spray (1:1 with water) on healthy foliage. Remove every fallen leaf now—each holds hundreds of spores.

Avoid chemical fungicides like Daconil (chlorothalonil)—a known carcinogen. The risk isn't worth cosmetic perfection.