By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
Protecting Your Roses
Step1
Inspect rose gardens regularly.
Step2
Make finding the troublemakers a priority. Learn to identify the most common infestations (aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, fungus and mildew).
Step3
Cut away all infected areas.
Step4
Create an anti-fungal/anti-mildew spray by adding 1 tbsp. baking soda and 2 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil to 1 gallon water.
Step5
Cover the remaining plant surfaces with the solution, using either a spray bottle or a garden hose attachment.
Step6
Repeat every two weeks or as symptoms appear.
Getting Rid of Offending Insects
Step1
Mix 1 c. vegetable oil with 1 tbsp. liquid dishwashing soap. Add 1 1/2 tsp. of this mixture per 1 c. warm water. Pour the solution into a handheld spray bottle.
Step2
Hit each infestation directly.
Step3
Spray the plant thoroughly.
Step4
Repeat weekly or as needed.
Step5
Introduce ladybugs to your garden. They will happily munch aphids and other soft-bodied insects until they fly away home.
Comments
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 This year, I started putting banana peels in the dirt around the root system of my roses. I have much larger and healthier roses now.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 I add Epsom Salts around the base of my roses and water them thoroughly about once every two months. They grow better, they are healthier, and they produce many more roses.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 This year, I started putting banana peels in the dirt around the root system of my roses. I have much larger and healthier roses now.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 To keep aphids & other insects out of your rose bushes put two or three peeled whole garlic cloves on top of the soil.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Use any leftover coffee in the bottom of your pot, mix with the coffee grounds and add water to fill the pot. Pour on the soil surrounding your roses. This is a natural pesticide and also perks up your roses. A rose genius told me about this.