---
title: "My decades-old roses are very leggy and have black spot."
description: "Cut them back by a third, clean up the leaf litter, use a soaker hose rather than overhead watering, and spray with Neem oil. ([read more](https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=010978498346658208303:rljk-euizvq&q=https://extension.umd.edu/resource/black-spot-disease-roses&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjnjca6rKHxAhURU98KHUw0CpwQFjAGegQIBxAC&usg=AOvVaw1cKLIAXsQ0E0qVLnUu5QVi))"
url: "https://www.henricomg.org/docs/my-decades-old-roses-are-very-leggy-and-have-black-spot/"
updated: "2021-09-10"
category: SHRUBS
---

# My decades-old roses are very leggy and have black spot.

Cut them back by a third, clean up the leaf litter, use a soaker hose rather than overhead watering, and spray with Neem oil. ([read more](https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=010978498346658208303:rljk-euizvq&q=https://extension.umd.edu/resource/black-spot-disease-roses&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjnjca6rKHxAhURU98KHUw0CpwQFjAGegQIBxAC&usg=AOvVaw1cKLIAXsQ0E0qVLnUu5QVi))