Baldo helped me to identify - “Sooty Mold” on my roses. I have never seen this in my 40+ years of growing roses. Just goes to show there is always something to learn! According to Baldo, there is nothing to do and you can wash it off if you are cutting for the house or a rose show. Has anyone else seen this on their roses?
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Yes, when I had a lot of aphids, I have seen this type of sooty mold on roses. Whitefly can also cause sooty mold. Have you tried insecticidal soap on the leaves to wash it off?
Sooty mold is the result of sucking insects and the secretions they leave behind. In the case of roses in southern California, it’s likely through aphid activity. Try to reduce your aphid populations through IPM first by hand picking or spraying with blasts of water. Severe infestations of the mold that forms can reduce photosynthesis, so either try to wipe off the mold from the affected leaves, or cut out the damaged areas, allowing for new growth.
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Yes - I can see where the aphids caused this to happen. It has been a busy summer for me with many competing priorities and my garden suffered a bit but have to say I have never had such a big aphid population on my roses as this year. I rarely spray with insecticides in my garden. Thank you for sharing this information!