Diplocarpon rosae, or black spot fungus does not just affect roses.  This fungus can affect any plant in your garden that has fleshy leaves or stems.  Identifying this fungus should be easy enough, since the name accurately describes the first stage of infection.  Plants with this disease have black spots, and when it progresses, the leaf around the spot starts to turn yellow, until eventually the entire leaf is yellow and falls off.  On the plus side black spot fungus does not kill plants, but it is very unsightly.  This fungus grows in the spring when temperatures start to climb into the sixties, and does not stop until temperatures reach the mid eighties.  This fungus also thrives when plants are wet for 6 to 9 hours in the day.

As spring quickly approaches, you will want to get your yard ready for the warm seasons ahead. You can start with some gentle clean up. If you have any snow that is still piled on your yard, try to move it around. This not only will get it to melt faster, but will get the snow off your grass and help prevent mold from growing. You can also start to gently rake your leaves and remove branches that may have broken during the winter, but do not rake too hard, as the ground is soft at this point and you could damage new grass shoots and roots.

If you did not get a chance last fall, you could also aerate your yard if your yard is compacted. Try to wait until you have mowed your lawn a couple of times as this will again prevent damage to new growth. While it is best to do this in the fall, spring works as well, and it will allow water to reach your root systems easier. You can also dethatch your yard in the springtime, and usually happens right before you aerate.

Most of the time, we have plenty of rain and melted snow to bring our yards back to life in the spring, but make sure your yard is getting at least 1 inch of water per week.