Any ideas how to get rid of greenfly on roses without using pesticides?

[alittleone2]

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[MsPontipine]

I did see ladybird nesting boxes in garden centre. Any good??

[Lozza70]

I've always used soapsuds to get rid of greenfly on plants. Just fill a washing up bowl with a bit of washing liquid and lots of cold water and lift the suds off the top of the water and put on the stems where the greenfly are hanging out.

[bran]

There's an organic spray. A home remedy that my mother uses is washing-up liquid diluted with water (stronger than you would wash up with, but still fairly weak) shaken to make a bit foamy and sprayed onto the plants. Make sure you spray onto the undersides of leaves. Repeat daily. It works by dehydrating the greenfly somehow.

[mymblemummy]

Try ladybirds, honestly. You can buy them from:
www.greengardener.co.uk

[TooTicky]

Ladybirds. I go out and collect my own from down the road, then walk back with them crawling up and down my arms. There is a certain satisfaction to popping one on an aphid-ridden plant and seeing it tuck right in
And me a vegan

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

Yes, my garden was full of aphids and then the ladybirds arrived....

[alittleone2]

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[finknottle]

Atm I have ladybirds:3 aphids:300.

A couple of years ago I made this brew with nettles and water. First I put it in a bucket and sieved it after 3 weeks (and boy does it stink) then I got lazy and used an old watering can (must be plastic) and just left it to ferment. Then tipped out the liquid into an old spray bottle hoping the gunge got stuck in the rose and blasted the aphids with it. Worked brilliantly once I'd remembered to dilute it Too strong and it burns the plant.
Felt v organic and wholesome (me that is) and ignore h's comments about my "witch's brew". Is generally a good plant strengthener.

So now am off to look for nettles. Why do you always have them till you need them?

[alittleone2]

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[bluesky]

you can come round my house for nettles!!!

[Wisteria]

washing up liquid, hot water and sugar, mix all together until sugar has dissolved, leave to cool and use as a spray, it works well for all aphids, hardly any ladybirds around this year so it may be the year of the aphid unfortunately................

[kirstymcc]

My mum always used fairy liquid in a spray. Maybe you could use that Ecover washing up liquid as it's eco friendly (though not sure if it works as well as FL at killing greenfly!!)

[Demilition]

Dilute a soup spoon full of pure alcohol and a soup spoon full of grated green soap (olive oil soap) in a liter of warm but not hot water.After it cools down shake well and spray where aphids are,usually on tender new leaves and flowers or under older leaves. Always spray at night time when the sunlight is not directly on your plants.