Roses can be vulnerable in late June to pests that target their new flower buds, but gardeners can protect them using a simple natural product from a supermarket. Roses are fairly low-maintenance in summer, as they usually just need watering to keep flowering, but it is important to look out for any tiny green insects crawling on new buds.
Understanding Aphids on Roses
Aphids, also known as green flies, are the most common pest that you can find on roses as they feed by sucking the sap out of the plant's stems and flower buds. They are known to burst in population in late June, and once they get into a garden, they will keep eating away at a rose until it cannot grow any new blooms at all. However, what makes these pesky insects so dangerous is that they produce honeydew after feeding, which is a sugary waste that encourages mould and can kill roses by blocking sunlight from reaching their leaves.
Natural Solution with Castile Soap
Natalie Clause, a gardener and founder of Full Green Life, has stated there is an easy method to keep aphids away without harming the environment if you use Castile soap. She said: "Castile Soap is a wonderful ingredient to be used in many green cleaning DIYs around the house. It's the key component in the aphid rose spray that I use. I add peppermint oil as an insect repellant to keep the aphids from returning, but it is not necessary to actually kill the aphids. The water and castile soap do that."
Aphids have a waxy coating that helps them retain water on hot days, but using soap to dissolve this layer will cause them to dry out quickly and die. On social media, it has become incredibly popular to recommend washing-up liquid to kill aphids, but the chemicals in the soap will also harm plants as well as helpful insects like butterflies and bumblebees. Castile soap is much gentler than washing-up liquid as it is made of natural ingredients, so it is biodegradable, so it is unlikely to harm your garden while still being incredibly effective against aphids.
How to Get Rid of Aphids Without Harming Your Roses
You will need:
- 500ml of water
- Two tablespoons of Castile soap
- 10 drops of peppermint essential oil (optional)
Castile soap can usually be bought at any beauty store in the UK or in the shower wash section of most supermarkets. However, this pest repellent uses Dr. Bronner's liquid soap if you have any difficulty looking for it. Peppermint essential oil is not essential, but it contains menthol and other compounds that are known to be overpowering to aphids, which will stop them from coming back later.
Method:
- To begin, fill a spray bottle with water and then add the castile soap and peppermint oil (if using). Give the spray bottle a good shake to mix all the ingredients together and make sure to shake it thoroughly before each use.
- Spray underneath each rose flower. Aphids are known to feed on any new growth so make sure to coat any new buds or leaves on the plant.
- Once you have sprayed your roses, leave the solution on it for a few hours and then check the plant. All the aphids should be completely gone without needing to use any harsh chemical solutions in your garden.
It is best to spray roses with this solution in the morning or evening, as leaving liquid on foliage in the afternoon on a hot day can risk scorching the leaves and stressing the plant out.
