does anyone have a suggestion for a pest control product to use for roses that doesn't involve toxic sprays and the like..i think they call it systemic(?). i always get aphids and worms. i planted a climbing rose last year, thinking it would be a bit more resistant than the tea roses. thanks for your suggestions. moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
I am guilty of using systemic (sometimes) One of our local growers told me that a happy, healthy rose shouldn't have insect problems~ easy for her to say :-? I put a little dish soap and water in a spray bottle and mist the roses pretty regularly. That seems to keep the aphids at bay. I think the key is to GET THEM EARLY!! and then stay on 'em! I only prune mine in late spring (when the forsythia are blooming) then I sprinkle epsom salts around the trunk and work it into the soil. Hope this helps some. I'm in zone 6a so your area might be different :-D
i will try that....i really dislike the chemicals, though, i do realise the sometimes they are necessary.....what do the epsom salts do?....thanks
Annette, epsom salts allow the plant to take up certain trace elements necessary for its health. Magnesium, I think but I'm not sure. The insecticidal soap that Stratsmom recommended helps tremendously with soft-bodied insects. Also, if you spray your roses with compost tea, it acts as a very mild foliar fertilizer, and improves the plant's health. Planting rue or garlic near your roses helps. Its companion planting and I don't understand it completely, but something about the scent or the oils from rue or garlic repels insects. Black spot can be controlled by spraying a 10% milk solution on the roses before the spot appears. Most fungal diseases are controlled by the milk spray. Hope this helps. We gardened for 25 years near Rochester, and had great roses. It's harder here in Texas!
