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Leaf Curl on Roses newly sprayed with insecticide
jamesandpaul54
Posts: 7
Finding aphids on opening buds of established Rose bushes I duly sprayed with RoseClear.
Checking them out 2 days later there didn't appear to be any change so applied a fresh misting of RoseClear.
Today (3 days after spraying) am dismayed to find Rose leaves in vicinity of buds which were sprayed are curling. Also that under-planted plants have yellow marks on foliage and generally looking rather forlorn.
What's gone wrong?
James East Molesey, Surrey.
Checking them out 2 days later there didn't appear to be any change so applied a fresh misting of RoseClear.
Today (3 days after spraying) am dismayed to find Rose leaves in vicinity of buds which were sprayed are curling. Also that under-planted plants have yellow marks on foliage and generally looking rather forlorn.
What's gone wrong?
James East Molesey, Surrey.
0
Posts
Our wildlife is having a hard enough time as it is at the moment without gardeners actively spraying poison around.
Sorry state we'll be in if the current decline in pollinators continues.
They don't do long term harm and will be picked up by predators eventually.
Pick em off, or leave them alone!
If you can encourage lots of birds into the garden, that will really help - especially at this time of year when they have youngsters to feed. Blue tits are particularly fond. A little seed feeder hung in and around your plants is very useful. All the little birds I have here sit on the nearby apple tree before going to the feeders. I never have greenfly on the blossom for long
Roses can be a bit prone to them at this time of year, as are lots of perennials when the new soft growth appears - it's a banquet for greenfly, and they can multiply very rapidly. If you can swipe them off , the balance will quickly restore, and then your roses will be healthier and happier.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
If you really feel you have to use a spray, I would beg you to do so sparingly, read the labels carefully (I think they recommend minimum two-week gaps between spraying).
The old-fashioned squishing or hose jets usually seem to keep the problem under control, though.
Two sprayings of rose clear in two days is much more than the manufacturer recommends. Potentially this could have caused problems.
However, the best advice is to ditch the chemicals and use good husbandry to control pests. Aphids have all sorts of predators from ladybirds and lacewings and their larvae to small birds like tits and sparrows. Poison the aphids and you poison them too.
Be kind to your garden and it's plants. Look after the soil, feed and water the plants if hungry and thirsty and nature will balance the rest.
I feel right royally told off but I do appreciate the fact that so many of you have taken time out to respond. Thank You.
In actual fact I rarely use pesticides but with these particular plants although around 10 years old they are only now starting to bush up and annually their small and brief show of flowers are besieged with bugs so I hoped to turn the tide this time around before the buds open. The soap liquid technique has been tried in years gone by but with nil result. We are blessed with birdlife too but they must be on long-term diets.
Anyway, once again thanks to all.
The fact is that roses are strong plants and aphids don't harm them too much. Yes, they suck some energy out of them (literally) but it's not significant.
If your roses don't do well, the problem is probably somewhere else (soil, position, care etc.). If you want, you can post to our rose thread or make your own thread and we can help. There are many experienced rose growers here.
And the leaf curl is a common response of many plants to aphids, I wouldn't worry about it.
Maybe post some photos, tell us about your soil and aspect and general location as all of these will affect how well your roses grow.