Gardener's Group discussion

Barbara wrote: "Got a beautiful red rose bush under siege by some bugs. I think they are aphids or similar. Tried soapy water but it doesn't seem like it is working.

My other roses seem to be doing great but thi..."

Not seeing,the plant but guessing, sounds like a brand new plant by the term "Got". I would take it back to the nursery for a replacement (well my Local nursery has a one year guarantee). I am also wondering if a splicing to the root stock failed for stepped on look.

However, Aphids cause wrinkled and discolored leaves. Did you try an insecticidal soap or was that plain soapy water? Could try insecticicidal soap. If it is just the tips one could just prune, just make sure the cut is above the rootstock splice.

Out of all of my garden plants, the roses are the hardest to keep looking nice without an arsenal of toxic chemicals. Over the years I stopped buying spliced tea roses. I want the non spliced rootstock roses seems to hold up better. But still no matter what, the pesky japanese Beatle is my bane.

Good luck.

Barbara wrote: "It was just dish soap I didn't want to use anything chemical. I did do a lot of pruning and hope that helps.

I guess I'll ask at the hardware store if they have anything that is not harmful to th..."

Take a sample of the diseased plant to your local greenhouse / nursery. They will give you the best solution. Also try calling your local agricultural extension center / master gardener association for help.

I should add, not all insecticidal soaps are botanical pesticides some are natural, read the lable.

The answer I gave you came from this book:
The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals

Keep it away from your other roses! (Whenever I bring home new plants, I usually keep them at the other end of the yard for about a week before placing them in the garden to be sure they are healthy and pest free).

If they are aphids, they are either green, on the stems and under side of leaves, or they are white (as in wooly aphids) and will be in the same areas of the rose but it will look almost like fuzzy mold. They especially like new and recently new growth!

If this rose is new, I would definitely take it back to the nursery to show them! Not only can it infest/infect your other roses, but their entire stock may be infested/infected which means it's spreading to every buyers garden.

I picked up 3 new roses recently and discovered one had rose midge and immediately took it back! (They were horrified and 'quarantined' their entire stock of roses to be sure whether or not others are infested as well). Rose midge is a pest infestation.

1 tsp dish soap to a gallon of water then sprayed on at the beginning of the day (so there's time to dry before evening humidity sets in) or you can use your garden hose to hose them off at the beginning of the day. Check a few times a week if not daily and repeat. If you're going organic, vigilance is your best option to keep them in check. (They also like other garden plants too - I deal with them every year throughout my garden).

You could also take a photo of them damage (and the bugs if you can) to the nursery and get their assessment.

In gardening there is an old saying "Roses love garlic!" I started researching and utilizing aspects of companion planting I guess a decade or more ago. With regards to roses I plant garlic cloves in the Fall next to rose bushes and allow them to turn into perennials by not removing the roses. I have done this for friends and family in the past that had rose bush (and even for a Hibiscus tree at my former employer) problems and not too long after this was done a positive change was noticed!

I came across a really good resource for making a homemade garlic spray and I will add to this post after I find the Web site.