Last year my roses were like that and I just took all the leaves off and before end of season they started to grow again.

And I have been feeding my roses more this year to and they have been stunning.

But now today with the storms the petals are blowing off.

See what other rose growers say Sanyn.

Black spot is a fungal infection and whilst the weather can make it worse it is not the cause of it. Spray your roses with a systemic Fungicide according to the info on the packet. Collect up and destroy any fallen leaves.

I agree with Owdboggy. It is a fungal infection and in damp weather it is able to spread more easily. spray with a systemic fungicide and don't compost fallen leaves.

And you'll find it's probably downy mildew, which looked to me like blackspot until I was told otherwise by the David Austin expert, Mike Sokolowski. It appears one day, and within just a few days the whole plant has it. The leaves yellow, and then fall off. I had to cut mine right back to bare stems, and spray at leaf burst (all over again, and even now they'll come back and produce some flower), then at two weekly intervals. Sunshine on the top of the plant is one of the best preventative measures (downy mildew hates that), lots of water at the roots, and good health.

well without a photo its academic. but both are fungal infections.

If it looks like black spot how do you tell the difference, not that it apparently matters if the treatment is the same but its nice to know!

Thankyou, I will try the cutting back and feeding won't use a fungacide or pesticide in my garden; too many wild animals and birds and we already have a terrible problem here is the states of honey bees dying from it.
I have lots of bumble bees but no honey bees.

The fungicide won't harm the bees. but I applaud the reasons. I do the same as much as I can but roses refuse to behave here where I am (alongside cress beds, with damp in the air all the while), without being treated. You can't really run a garden centre and not sell roses, so I had to capitulate to the need to spray them. SBG, you're right, it's academic. Stera, the difference is that blackspot is just that, rounded dots, often with yellowing around the spots. Downy mildew is more like patches, often working off the midrib. Result is the same - leaves fall off!

Thanks Worthy - what I get is black spot then, as I thought. First year with none as I remembered the Roseclear before it appeared for once!