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Roses are the pride and joy of every garden owner. In June, the so-called 'Rose Month', the peak of the rose bloom is reached. Despite all the splendor, roses are not immune to aphid infestation. They appear out of nowhere in the spring and attack the young shoots, leaves and buds. In warm and dry weather, they can multiply explosively. Early and consistent control is all the more important.
lice infestation
Signs of a lice infestation
Roses can be affected by pest infestations from time to time. Healthy plants are significantly less susceptible to infestation than weak ones.
- clear signs of an infestation are signs of feeding on leaves, shoots and buds
- later curled and stunted leaves and shoots, falling buds
- green, red or black lice are easily recognizable with the naked eye
- Lice leave behind sugary excretions called honeydew
- Honeydew encourages the colonization of sooty mold fungi
- Sooty mildew (black spots on the leaves) most common rose disease
Aphid infestation on a rose plant
Where there is honeydew, ants are not far. Ants love honeydew and in return protect the lice from predators. Both species practically form a symbiosis. The infestation period is between April and July. The lower the infestation, the easier and more promising is the control.
home remedies
Quick help with home remedies
Home remedies have already proven themselves many times over in pest control. However, multiple treatments are usually required. Despite everything, chemical means to combat aphids are not an option. You can use the following home remedies to find the most effective and promising method for yourself.
spray plants
Intensive rinsing with a strong jet of water is the easiest way to combat aphids, especially with a light infestation. You should do this regularly and don't forget the undersides of the leaves. After rinsing, make sure that the plants dry off quickly, otherwise there is a risk of fungal infestation. If the shoot tips are already more severely affected, it is best to cut them off.
Tip: Before rinsing, especially for roses in pots or tubs, it is advisable to cover the bottom with foil to prevent soil from being washed out of the pot.
red blooming rose
Classic soapy water
Soapy water is the classic household remedy and a natural insecticide to combat lice. The core, soft or potash soap used should be free of any additives or fragrances. It is best to use vegetable curd soap, pure potash soap or neutral soap.
- you need about 50 g of crushed potash or curd soap
- alternatively approx. 30 ml soft soap
- Dissolve the soap in a liter of lukewarm water
- prepared solution must not be too watery
- then fill a suitable spray bottle with the soap solution
- Spray infested plant parts from all sides
- Don't forget the undersides of the leaves and the bases of the stems
The solution should leave a fine film on the lice after application. This process may have to be repeated several times. Once the aphids are dead, you can rinse the plants with clear water to remove the remains of the soapy water and dead aphids.
Tip: Some home gardeners swear by adding a few squirts of mineral spirits to soapy solutions to get rid of lice. This is recommended for more stubborn pests such as scale insects.
potato water
Potato water is a typical household remedy, which is also good for combating aphids, especially on roses. Its effect is based on the solanine it contains. Potato water should always be sprayed undiluted and allowed to cool down before spraying. Depending on the severity of the infestation, several treatments may be necessary.
potatoes
vinegar solution
Another home remedy in the fight against aphids can be a solution of vinegar and water. However, vinegar should not kill the lice directly, but rather serve to prevent an infestation. Mix one liter of water with 100 ml of vinegar and pour the liquid into a spray bottle. Then spray infested plants until they are dripping wet.
Tip: One should be very careful with the dosage of vinegar. The acid in the vinegar could attack the leaves of the rose if the concentration is too high.
Black and vermouth tea
Black tea is a home remedy that almost everyone has at home. Not only is it delicious, it is also effective against lice. To prepare an appropriate spray solution, first bring a liter of water to the boil and pour it over two tea bags. The whole thing is left to steep for about 15 minutes and then the bags are removed. After cooling, the solution is ready to spray and can be used.
Essential oils are responsible for the spicy aroma of wormwood, which can also deter lice. To prepare a suitable solution, pour one liter of boiling water over ten grams of dried or 100 grams of fresh wormwood leaves and leave to stand for 24 hours. Then you pour the liquid through a fine sieve and use it against lice in spring and summer.
Brews, broths and manure
Manure, broths and decoctions made from plants
Homemade manure, decoctions and broths made from plants are very effective home remedies for controlling pests such as aphids. If used regularly, they can not only protect against diseases and pests, but also provide the roses with important minerals and thus strengthen their defenses.
nettle and horsetail manure
Homemade nettle manure can be used in a variety of ways in the garden, be it for fertilization or to ward off and combat pests. The liquid manure is particularly effective with a light to medium infestation.
- collect one kilogram of fresh nettles to prepare nettle manure
- Place in a wooden or plastic tub
- Metal vessels unsuitable for liquid manure production
- Pour ten liters of water over the herb, preferably rainwater
- let it ferment for a week or two
- add some rock flour or bentonite to the liquid manure to counteract the smell
- Manure is ready when it no longer foams
- For spraying, dilute one liter of liquid manure with ten liters of water
- Spray the roses with it and repeat the process every 14 days
Make nettle stock
For horsetail manure, one kilogram of fresh horsetail or 200 g of dried horsetail is mixed with ten liters of cold water. In contrast to nettle manure, two liters of manure are diluted with ten liters of water. The soaking process and application correspond to those of nettle manure.
Tip: Nettle broth is also often recommended as a means of combating aphids. However, it is not strong enough and is therefore more suitable for strengthening plants
Tansy, eagle and male fern broth
Only the dried inflorescences are used to make a tansy broth. Calculate about 300 g of dried flowers for ten liters of water. You put both on and let it stand for 24 hours. Then one liter of the concentrate is diluted with two liters of rainwater and applied accordingly.
In contrast to tansy, the leaves are used for eagle and worm fern. Soak one kilogram of fresh herb or 200 g of dried herb in ten liters of water. The next day, let the whole thing boil up and let it steep for an hour. After it has cooled, pour the broth through a sieve and apply the undiluted product to infested roses. Bracken fern in particular contains a lot of potassium, so it is also very suitable for strengthening plants.
Tip: Before repeatedly applying tansy broth to roses, you should allow sufficient time, because too high a concentration can cause symptoms of poisoning in the rose.
savory broth
An effective remedy against aphids can also be made from savory. Its effect is based on the essential oils of the plants that aphids do not like at all. For a corresponding spray you put a bunch of fresh savory in two liters of water. Then you cook the mass with the lid closed for about an hour so that the essential oils can extract. The brew is then poured through a fine sieve. After it has cooled, dilute ten milliliters of the concentrate with one liter of water. The brew is now ready to be sprayed. Treatment with this remedy should be repeated at intervals of a few days.
Tip: Savory can be used not only in the form of a decoction against aphids. If you plant it between the roses, it can also partially prevent an infestation.
Brew from oregano
Oregano is not only a popular kitchen herb, it also contains substances that can act against aphids. A corresponding solution for spraying is quickly prepared. To do this, pour boiling water over approx. 100 g of fresh oregano or 10 g of dried herb, as if you were brewing tea. The whole thing is then left to steep for 15-20 minutes and poured through a sieve. The brew obtained is then diluted with water in a ratio of 3:1 and treated with it on infested roses.
oregano plant
Onion and garlic broth
What is missing in every household are onions and garlic. They can also protect against aphids. You need 40 g of chopped onions or garlic cloves, which you pour over with five liters of boiling water. The whole thing should now take at least three hours. The mixture is then poured through a sieve and allowed to cool. The roses are sprayed with the undiluted onion or garlic broth about every ten days. As with all brews and broths, the underside of the leaves should not be ignored.
Tip: Garlic can also be effective against aphids by gently crushing individual cloves and planting them in the soil around the affected plants.