rose question

[irmanator]

what are these little wormy green things eating my roses. They are about a 1/2 inch long like caterpillars differnet shades of green. What is an economical organic way to get rid of them?

[FrugalFish]

I'm getting ready to dig up 3 rose bushes in about an hour- so I've got roses on the brain this morning!

Try dislodging them with a sharp stream of water from an adjustable spray nozzle, just removing them should control them to some extent. You can also try soapy water sprayed on the roses, baby shampoo works best because it does not strip oils from the plant, but is generally enough to destroy the critters. If that still doesn't do it, try searching online for a garlic oil recipe; they are easy and cheap to make and can be very effective.

A word of warning though, since roses can suffer fungal problems this time of year, be sure to do any wetting of the leaves early in the day so they have plenty of time to dry before nightfall.

[kork13]

almost completely off-topic (my apologies), but mention of roses reminded me of this quote:

"What a lovely thing a rose is. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its colour are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers." ~Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)