Home gardener Maureen McMorrow has a beautiful, healthy rose garden, but she nevertheless has to contend with pests like aphids (figure A) and spider mites. In this segment, she and Maureen Gilmer discuss some of the less toxic ways to get rid of these and other pests.
- Soap sprays have long been know to be an effective weapon against aphids. You can mix your own or buy premixed solutions in spray bottles. Be aware that pests are esoecially fond of new growth, so you should always pay special attention to buds and tender leaves and stems.
- Syringe a plant (to "syringe" means to clean or irrigate them with a directed stream of water) to help keep down the spider-mite population. The accumulation of dust on plants encourages spider mites, so you should syringe your roses at least once a week during the growing season to wash off the dust. Concentrate on the new, red-hued growth (figure B), and be sure to water in the morning, before the sun comes up. (Sunlight in combination with water on a plant can result in burning.)
- Natural predators such as ladybugs (figure C) devour many times their weight in garden pests. They are available in large quantities from garden suppliers (figure D). Just open the container and lay it in the garden -- and let nature take its course.
RESOURCES :
Easy, Practical Pruning: Techniques for Training Trees, Shrubs, Vines, and Roses
Model: 0395815916
Author: Barbara Ellis
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com
The Garderners Guide to Common-Sense Pest Control
Model: 1561581496
Author: William Olkowski and Sheila Daar
1996
Taylor's Guide to Roses
Model: 0395404509
Author: Steve Schneider
1995
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com
Roses for Dummies
Model: 0764552023
Author: Lance Walheim
February 2000
Roses: A Growing Guide for Easy, Colorful Gardens
Model: 0028626362
Author: Mary C. Weaver & George Ball, Jr.
December 1998
Bugs, Slugs & Other Thugs: Controlling Garden Pests Organically
Model: 0882666649
Author: Rhonda Massingham Hart
224 pages
(July 1991)
Storey Books / Storey Communications Inc.
Website: www.storey.com
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