If you grow roses in your garden but are having problems keeping them healthy, insects may be responsible. If you do nothing to deter them, they can do a lot of damage. There are ten major rose enemies, which you should be able to identify them if you hope to evade them.
1. Aphids Aphids are the most frequent bug to feed on roses. Most commonly found in buds and shoots, high numbers of aphids will encourage mild growth and blacken the rose leaves. They can also reduce the size of the flowers, or even kill some buds. Aphids are mainly a problem in the spring and early summer. Ladybugs are the aphid’s natural enemy, but you can also use water spray or insecticidal soaps to remove the aphids.
2. Spider Mites Spider mites can cause your rose leaves to dry up and fall off. They are so tiny that you probably will not notice them on the leaves. They are usually found in dry, dusty conditions. To get rid of spider mites, reduce the dust near your plants and ensure that they are watered sufficiently.
3. Fuller Rose Beetles Fuller Rose Beetles will chew on your rose bushes’ flowers and leaves, giving them ragged edges. They eat during the night, and will hide on the underside of the leaves during the day. Pesticides do not usually kill them, so you’ll need to handpick them off your plants.
4. Thrips Thrips leave brown streaks on your rose flowers, especially those that are white or light colored. Thrips can easily move from one plant to another if your rose bushes are planted close together. The best way to get rid of them is to clip and dispose of any blooms that have been infected.
5. Caterpillars Several species of caterpillars enjoy feeding on rose leaves. Because this damage does not threaten the rose plant’s overall health, you should simply remove affected leaves or buds.
6. Rose Slugs Rose slugs are actually the larvae of sawflies, but they look like caterpillars because they have legs. They have many natural enemies, but you can also remove them by washing your rose bushes with a strong spray of water.
7. Leafcutter Bees Leafcutter bees make semicircular holes in the leaves of your rose bushes. Other than killing the bees, which are natural pollinators and therefore helpful for your garden, there is no effective way to stop their work on your rose bushes.
8. Rose Curculio In a pool garden ideas, the common problem is the Rose Curculio that usually affects yellow or white roses. They are about a quarter of an inch long, and punch holes in flowers and buds. The larvae feed on developing buds, making this pest quite destructive for your flowers. You can get rid of them by spraying your rose bushes with an insecticide.
9. Flat Headed Borers Flat headed borers cause your rose bushes to die back, and sometimes they can kill the entire plant. You need to remove anything that has been infested with this pest. Keep your plants healthy by not over pruning them, and ensuring that they receive enough water in order to have a good landscape design.
10. Scale Insects Scale insects are small grey bugs with scales. In a pool landscaping, the ideas The best way to get rid of them is to prune any affected canes, and use pesticides to keep them from infecting remaining canes.
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November 17 2008 | Gardening | No Comments »
Most of the plants that we put into our gardens are able to obtain their nutrient requirements on their own using the available sunlight and what is in the soil. This is not the case for indoor plants, however; they rely on us to water them and provide the required nutrients.
The estimates of professionals suggest that some 90% of indoor plants are not watered properly – either obtaining too much water, which leads to root rot and other diseases, or obtaining too little. It really isn’t difficult to get the amount correct, though. There are some simple tips to look out for to ensure that your plant receives what it needs.
A hygrometer is an excellent investment to make if you are serious about the welfare of your indoor plants. These instruments can cost you a fortune or be very cheap, but they will all do the job equally well.
Some are digital which means they are easy to read and are very accurate and some also contain a thermometer. This can be used to measure the soil temperature, which is another important element in the care of your plants.
There are other very simple ways of checking the water levels. Pressing a finger into the surface of the soil will indicate the amount of water in the pot. Obviously, a wet finger means water is present, but you are also testing for how much water there is. Remember that soil that is moist will “give” or feel spongy, whereas dry soil is hard.
A tongue depressor or chopstick is also a great tool for testing the water content of the soil. If, after placing the implement into the soil for a short time, the wood is dark, you will know that there is water in the soil.
There is another tried and tested method to use. This involves placing a saucer under the pot and then filling the saucer to about 1/3 of its capacity. The pot should then be left to soak up the water in the saucer through capillary action. Continue this process until there is still water left in the saucer and therefore the pot has reached its soak point. Mop up this extra water with a towel and make sure that you have kept a record of the amount of water you have placed into the saucer as this will be a good indicator of the moisture requirements of that particular plant.
In taking care of plants such as cereus peruvianus, for example, checking the amount of water in the soil doesn’t involve the disturbance or modification of the soil in any way. We all understand that dry soil weighs less than moist soil, so a simple test is to place the pot on a scale and repeatedly check the weight after the addition of water. Once you have established the “right” weight of the pot, it will be easy to check if the water level is correct by weighing the pot each day. After a time, you will have an idea of the requirements of the pot and you won’t have to weigh it any more.
It should also be noted that, whilst the measurement of the water volume is a good guideline, there are other variables that affect plant growth like cactus plants such as air temperature and humidity due to seasonal changes that will dictate the amount of water required by the plant. As such, using a combination of checks and balances should ensure that your plant remains healthy all the time.
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November 13 2008 | Gardening | No Comments »