Hello. I am planting for the first time ever so I have a couple questions.. I have some bareroot roses I planted at the end of February (late I know). 1st I notice while watering there are tiny white bugs (aphids ?) in the mulch/soil. Now like I said they are bare root and so I can't spray them off the plant like google searches suggest. What can I do? Is it too late to plant garlic around? I'm open to home remedies or store bought chemicals. Which leads me to my second question I didn't trim the tips when I first planted should I do that now? The sticks are green. One of the plants has a skinny brown spindle, can I just cut that stick clean off? Thanks!
Dear Lynda, It would be unusual to have Aphids / Whilte Fly in living in the mulch as it is the green buds that they feed on. You could certainly plant garlic - never too late or spray them with a general store pesticide. Personnaly, if they are not harming the rose then I would just leave them alone! If youe new bushes have not got going well I would put a cardboard box or paper sack arround them and fill it with two to four inches of mulch. Keep the mulch damp - it will create a warm microclimate and encourage the bushes to get going. In about 4 weeks take the box / bag away but leave the mulch to drop down by itself. If the skinny brown spindle is definitely dead - yes you can cut it off. Scratch it with your finger nail to check.
My only reservation about the Knockout rose is that it may be genetically modified to be toxic to all insects---do you know if this is true? I am planting in northern Indiana.
Genetically modified to be toxic to all insects - I do not believe this is true. They have been cross-bread to have more resistance to funges (like black spot and powdery mildew), to drop their blooms after the bloom fades, and to stay as a smaller bush.
Worm Castings are an organic insect repellent. The worm castings contain an enzyme called Chitinase. Chitanase dissolves Chitin. The exoskeleton of insects is made of Chitin. The insects detect the Chitinase and stay away. You can buy Worm Castings on line or from a reputable plant nursery.
My small garden is infested with leaf miners. Can I cut them down now or wait till the winter pruning to get rid of them all? Summer with its intense heat is coming and I don't know what to do.
My roses have been in for 10 years. About 8 weeks ago the red rose started drying out and shriveling, completely dead in 2 weeks. About 4 weeks later my apricot rose did the same thing. Both in the same bed with others and an old fashion in between the two that died. I do feed with a systemic, but not this last August or September. What is happening?
Hello. I am planting for the first time ever so I have a couple questions.. I have some bareroot roses I planted at the end of February (late I know). 1st I notice while watering there are tiny white bugs (aphids ?) in the mulch/soil. Now like I said they are bare root and so I can't spray them off the plant like google searches suggest. What can I do? Is it too late to plant garlic around? I'm open to home remedies or store bought chemicals. Which leads me to my second question I didn't trim the tips when I first planted should I do that now? The sticks are green. One of the plants has a skinny brown spindle, can I just cut that stick clean off? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDear Lynda,
ReplyDeleteIt would be unusual to have Aphids / Whilte Fly in living in the mulch as it is the green buds that they feed on. You could certainly plant garlic - never too late or spray them with a general store pesticide. Personnaly, if they are not harming the rose then I would just leave them alone!
If youe new bushes have not got going well I would put a cardboard box or paper sack arround them and fill it with two to four inches of mulch. Keep the mulch damp - it will create a warm microclimate and encourage the bushes to get going. In about 4 weeks take the box / bag away but leave the mulch to drop down by itself.
If the skinny brown spindle is definitely dead - yes you can cut it off. Scratch it with your finger nail to check.
My only reservation about the Knockout rose is that it may be genetically modified to be toxic to all insects---do you know if this is true? I am planting in northern Indiana.
ReplyDeleteGenetically modified to be toxic to all insects - I do not believe this is true.
DeleteThey have been cross-bread to have more resistance to funges (like black spot and powdery mildew), to drop their blooms after the bloom fades, and to stay as a smaller bush.
There are fire ants in my garden , which is making weeding and deadheading pretty tricky. Do you have any suggestions about how to discourage them?
ReplyDeleteI use ANDROID granuals to control ants.
ReplyDeleteWorm Castings are an organic insect repellent. The worm castings contain an enzyme called Chitinase. Chitanase dissolves Chitin. The exoskeleton of insects is made of Chitin. The insects detect the Chitinase and stay away.
ReplyDeleteYou can buy Worm Castings on line or from a reputable plant nursery.
Are "systemic" pesticides harmful to honeybees and hummingbirds? The ARS product endorsement page mentions the Bayer product and it is "systemic."
ReplyDeleteThe jury is still out on systemics being harmful to bees and birds. A web search will find both for and against. I use them as a last resort.
ReplyDeleteMy small garden is infested with leaf miners. Can I cut them down now or wait till the winter pruning to get rid of them all? Summer with its intense heat is coming and I don't know what to do.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy roses have been in for 10 years. About 8 weeks ago the red rose started drying out and shriveling, completely dead in 2 weeks. About 4 weeks later my apricot rose did the same thing. Both in the same bed with others and an old fashion in between the two that died. I do feed with a systemic, but not this last August or September. What is happening?
ReplyDelete