rose care

[bb99]

Does anyone know if there's an environmentally friendlier way to deal with aphids and black spot than nuking the bushes with pesticides and anti-fungals. Really don't do chemicals in the garden...

aphids I think you're supposed to import ladybirds or something that eats them
black spot no idea.. i use sulphur.. is that too awful?

Aphids can be moved by hand. If you keep an eye out and catch the attack early, then prune off any badly affected bits (if you can without damaging the plant) and take a soft damp cloth and wipe off the others - if the plant is a tough one and the aphids stubborn you can use an old nailbrush/toothbrush to dislodge them. You need to repeat every couple of days until they're clear. Some people use a weak solution of mild detergent instead of water but when I tried it it must have been to strong & the plant died.

Thank you - how do you get your sulphur stuffit? - I know it's toxic, but I can live with a bit of sulphur, it comes out of volcanos doesn't it!

Will squish away and try a bit of dish soap on the aphids.

Thank you - how do you get your sulphur stuffit? - I know it's toxic, but I can live with a bit of sulphur, it comes out of volcanos doesn't it!

Will squish away and try a bit of dish soap on the aphids.