APHIDS..............................

Roses---

I love flowers but I don’t "do" roses.  Oh, I love them and I think they are gorgeous–but in my acre yard with half of it wooded,  I have moles aplenty!  Last year I tried everything non-chemical to get rid of the rat-like pests...but no success.  I even tried the Juicy Fruit chewing gum down the hole trick...but on an acre that got to be a lot of gum!  Besides I think the moles liked it.  I even threatened to get a shotgun and stand guard like Elmer Fudd did stalking Bugs Bunny....but my husband was afraid I would get arrested by the animal rights people.  So, I don’t do roses because of moles....they like to eat the roots which causes the rose bush to die...imagine that.

However....I have heard taught and have talked to folks who grow beautiful

roses and aphids are a big–HUGE–problem for rose bushes. They are not only u-g-l-y,  they can destroy numbers of bushes in no time flat!  So, I want to give you some tried and true...non chemical solutions for APHIDS.  (Remember, I tell you this NOT from personal experience so don’t e-mail me and charge me for your destroyed bushes if these don’t work. c: These hints do come from "mega" experts.)

1.)  At the first sign of aphids take a banana peel and divide it longwise and hang it on the lower branches of the rose bush.  The aphids will flee.

(Before planting your rose bushes–dig the hole and add some chopped banana peels to the bottom of the hole.  This adds needed nutrients to the soil for roses...mainly potassium.)

2.)  Garlic Gets "Em!.....says, Jerry Baker

Put one or two garlic cloves among your roses to keep aphids and other pests away!

APHID ANTIDOTE

To keep aphids and other pests off your rose bushes and prized perennials, mix up a batch of this antidote:

1 small onion, chopped finely
2 medium cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 tbs. Of liquid dish soap
2 cups of water

Put all in a blender, blend on high, strain out the pulp, pour into handheld sprayer and spray liberally at the first sign of aphid trouble.

Sharon

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