| Black rot indeed can be frustrating to deal with, but home gardeners can keep the disease at bay without embarking on the extensive spraying regime used by commercial growers. Black rot is a fungus disease that overwinters primarily in mummified fruit. You can reduce the spread by being scrupulous about removing all mummified fruit and infected leaves and stems at the first sign of disease. At the end of the season, rake up all fallen leaves and fruit and dispose of them. If you continually have problems, you may want to switch to one of the disease-tolerant varieties, such as Catawba, Concord, Chancellor or Riesling. |
