Noticed little white things on rose bush

[elleng]

I've 'adopted,' at an abandoned house, couple weeks ago. Didn't look like 'bugs,' more like pieces of feathers. Now, holes in leaves, and 2 flowers I 'harvested' late were dried/shriveled, but not like usual clipped too late blooms.

It was a great bush last year, and wonder if there's anything I can do to help it thrive this year.

Thoughts?

Thanks

[Mira]

1. Aphids? They love roses. n/t

[elleng]

2. Checked google 'images,'

and their aphids look like wormy things. not like things I saw will look for images of more rose destroyers.

Thanks, Mira.

[freemay20]

9. Yes, it is an Aphid-- Wooly Aphid, N/T

[intheflow]

3. My little white things on my rose bush are aphids.

They're reeeeeallly little, like dandruff on the leaves. I'm going to get some ladybugs and set them loose on them.

[elleng]

4. MAY have been these. Yes, dandruff-kind of.

http://my.gardenguides.com/forums/topic/88237

Have to see if any still there. Think I saw leaves with holes yesterday. Ladybugs do, or 'chemicals' better???
THANKS

[elleng]

5. Where get ladybugs?

[intheflow]

7. I'm going to try my local garden center.

I just posted about this yesterday here, and someone suggested lady bugs. I've tried spraying them with garlic-infused water - read that on the internets - some people say to spray with garlic water with dish soap, or eucalyptus oil. Next year I'm going to plant some garlic around the base of the roses. I guess the buggers really don't like garlic! But this year I'm going to try the lady bugs along with the garlic water, mostly just because they're such cheerful little insects.

[elleng]

8. Yes, I like them too!

Think I should feed the bush, and others beside it. Know any good 'food?'

[intheflow]

15. I really don't know doodly-squat about roses.

Last edited Thu May 30, 2013, 09:24 AM - Edit history (2)

I inherited these rose bushes when I moved in here. The only thing I knew about roses was that they love water. I taught myself how to prune them last year since they looked like they had been hacked by the the Texas Chainsaw Massacre killer. Last year was super dry, and between that and the pruning they didn't produce many blooms. I've also read they like good soil and nice mulch but I haven't done any mulching or soil supplements at all. They're in the hardest, rockiest dirt on my property and seem to be thriving this year (aphids aside). I think once roses are well-established they can thrive through all kinds of adverse conditions with relatively little care. That's my master gardening plan for them, anyway!

[elleng]

16. HA, flow!

May go out (shortly, 'cause its getting hot here) to pick up some bugs (lady, that is,) and other stuff.

Heard same thing about hardiness of roses, and as to their up-keep. Wrote about this particular rose bush here last year: MOST fragrant, and DEEP VELVET red color, OUTSTANDING, would be very sad if it didn't produce this year.

Looked like this:

[elleng]

17. The ladybugs are SICK, can't breed or whatever they do this year/now,

so got Neems. SO disappointed, wanted to let a bunch of cute ladybugs loose on rose bushes!

[freemay20]

6. I had them all over

They were all over our Gardenia bushes as well as many other plant. It looked like dandruff but they are capable of flight. I have sprayed with Neems Oil and they have seemed to have disappeared. They were there for three years prior to spraying. So strange , they look like dust but can fly and were just all over every dang thing.

[freemay20]

10. Wooly Aphid, can be treated with NEEMS Oil N/T

[mopinko]

11. the thing to remember about aphids is that they depend on ants to survive.

blow the aphids off with a stiff spray of the hose, stop the ants with a wide swath of diatomaceous earth, and they are toast.
you have to keep watch, tho, because they will look for ways back in.

[elleng]

12. THANKS, mop, but its not my house,

don't visit every day, realtor trying to sell it, and don't have a garden hose!

[mopinko]

13. well it still wont hurt to dust around the bush.

put down a nice wide circle around the roots. there is a type that is dark gray and just looks like dirt. no one would know.

[elleng]

14. FUNNY that when I was working

(at Interstate Commerce Commission, regulating railroads,) heard about diatomaceous earth for the very first time; was/is a heavy product transported by rail.

Will see what I can find, lady-bug- and rose-food wise, AND diatomaceous earth!

[Retrograde]

18. You can also squish them with your fingers and brush the bodies off

I've found a squirt bottle with a water/detergent mixture works well: the detergent damages the aphids' shells leaving them no protection against the elements.