Prized things are always contested. In this case, your sweet-smelling Rose blooms are your prized possession, and you have to contest the elements and other factors to keep them safe.
One of the challenging factors that threaten your Rose flowers is a pest attack. But with a vigilant eye and the proper protective measures, this will not be much of a challenge for you.
How do I Protect My Roses from Bugs?
Always keep a watchful eye for pests on your Roses. Using a natural insecticidal spray can help you deal with most Rose pests. Using the help of beneficial bugs in your garden is also a fantastic technique. To avoid insect infestation, keep your plants clean in an open, well-ventilated location.
Observation is Key
Vigilance is the first step in keeping your Roses protected from bugs. It allows you to nip any pest attack in the bud rather than having to deal with severe infestations and losing precious Rose plants.
As you water and take care of your plants, take a close look at the leaves, under the leaves, and on the new growth for anything that looks unusual.
By keeping an observant eye, you will be able to save yourself a lot of trouble and thank yourself later.
Beneficial Bugs to the Rescue
Always welcome more beneficial bugs in your green space. Here are the bugs you should never bother if you spot them in your Rose bushes.
Ladybugs, Green Lacewings, Praying Mantises, Spiders, Ground Beetles, Soldier Beetles, and more.
These insects are harmless to you and your plants and act as natural plant guards against all sorts of plant pests.
If you knew the many benefits of having these insects crawl around your plants, you’d actually buy bags of them and release them into your garden for their benefits.
In fact, many gardeners do, and you can too. If you often catch a Ladybug or Mantis springing about your Rose bushes, rest assured because they’ve got your back.
Welcome Bug Eating Birds
Hang a bird feeder filled with wild bird seeds to attract beautiful and helpful birds to your garden.
Robins, Bluebirds, Orioles, and Wrens are all vivacious birds that can help you keep a check on plant-eating bugs.
Other than helping you keep bug populations under control, they add liveliness to your garden making it a truly special place.
Along with the usual tiny pests that feed on Rose plants, bigger insects like Grasshoppers can wreak havoc on your Roses.
Grasshoppers, being larger insects, are not much affected by insecticides and other pest remedies meant for smaller pests.
These birds will allow you deal with a Grasshopper problem if you have one.
Plant Maintenance
Clean up plant debris from your Rose bushes to prevent a pest attack. If you clean up all the debris from your Rose bed before the winter starts, there will be fewer harmful insects, if any.
Rake up all the dead leaves, plant matter and dispose of them safely. Remove the older mulch and add a fresh mulch layer every season.
Simple plant hygiene practices like this can go a long way in protecting your Roses from bugs.
Also, prune off dead, diseased, and damaged foliage regularly. Such plant parts are weakened already and welcome pest infestations.
Some pests such as Flatheaded Borers lay their eggs on diseased or dead Rose canes. In the same way, scale infestation can result in gray encrustations on the Rose stems.
Prune off any stems displaying such symptoms and dispose of them by sealing them in a plastic bag.
Protecting from Aphids
Aphids are undoubtedly the most common pests that attack Rose plantations. Aphids feed on soft growing buds and shoots.
If you spot wrinkled flower buds and curled new leaves, this is most probably an indicator of Aphid infestation.
Take a close look at the new succulent growth of your plant. If you spot tiny, green, or pink-colored insects that can be easily squished, you’ve got your suspect.
These sap-sucking insects puncture the soft, new growth and feed on the vital plant sugars. They multiply rapidly and leave a sticky substance called honeydew on feeding sites.
Honeydew, in excessive amounts, will result in sooty mold, black growth patches on the foliage. This can all lead to Rosebuds not blooming, reduced flower size, and stunted growth.
You can try a range of methods to get rid of aphids. If the infestation is not severe and is not too widespread, you can wash the Aphids off with a strong water shower.
You can also prepare a homemade insecticidal spray using neem oil.
Dealing with Spider Mites
Spider Mites will attack your Rose plants if the leaves are left too dusty and in low humidity conditions.
What makes it hard to identify Spider Mites is their tiny size. They are hard to distinguish without a magnifying aid.
One way to identify these insects is to tap a branch suspected to be mite-infested over a piece of white paper. Swipe your hand over it. If red streaks appear, this confirms Spider Mite presence.
They are usually found on the lower surfaces of a leaf and suck on plant sap by puncturing plant tissue.
Yellow leaves on roses and very fine webbing between stems and leaves are indicators of Spider Mite infestation.
Severe Mite infestation will lead to premature leaf drop on your Roses, and the webbing will accumulate more dust, making your plant look even dustier.
Spider Mites can efficiently be dealt with Neem Oil spray, the same treatment for Aphids.
Conclusion
Having pests feeding on your Roses does not mean you’re a bad plant parent. After all, it’s all part of the food chain.
If you spot a few Aphids or other pests on a Rose plant, don’t stress yourself out. It will not kill your plant.
You can even allow the food chain to continue and let those Aphids be eaten by Ladybugs in your garden. Intervention is only urgently needed when a plant is suffering a lot.
Let nature play its part, and you play yours.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.