How can I keep my garden chemical free?

July 12, 2010

Question:

To keep roses free from disease and bugs what can I plant with them to achieve this and make my garden chemical free.

Answer:

There are several points to bear in mind to reduce problems with roses:

Buy good quality plants with good disease resistances
Check the plants for any signs of infection or infestation and avoid any with growth on the soil surface
Always rake up and dispose of prunings and fallen leaves to help avoid fungal diseases
Prepare the soil well before planting to ensure good drainage and avoid waterlogging
Don’t plant roses too close together to allow air to circulate
Prune out the centre of plants to open it up
Feed regularly with Potash to build up disease resistance and Phosphates to promote a healthy root system; a special rose feed will do
Inspect your roses regularly to catch problems early; pick off or squash insects and remove infected leaves and stems as soon as they are seen
Encourage birds into your garden to eat insects including Aphids; erect feeding stations and always have a source of water for bathing and drinking

Ladybirds can eat more than 5,000 aphids in a year so encourage them by keeping a small patch of nettles in your garden; a favourite for egg laying. Ladybirds also need somewhere to hibernate over the winter and a favourite place for them is in clump-forming grasses such as pampas grass or you can buy ladybird houses in garden centres and online.

You should also get to know what the ladybird larvae looks like so that you don’t dispose of them by mistake. They are about half a centimetre long and have dark grey, segmented bodies with yellow spots down each side. Here’s a picture to help.

Companion planting can help reduce diseases and infestations but be careful not to overplant beneath roses as it could rob them of moisture and nutrients making them more prone to diseases:

Members of the onion family such as chives, ornamental alliums, and edible onions, are said to improve the perfume of roses, prevent black spot and to ward off aphids
Aromatic plants make good companions in particular herbs such as parsley, thyme, sage and oregano; try some of the following too:
- Scented geraniums (Pelargonium)
- Feverfew
- Marigolds
- Russian-sage (Perovskia)
- Lavender
- Yarrow (Achillea)
- Catmint (Nepeta)

This Question came from Diane Wood in Whaley Bridge but I was unable to reply in person due to an incorrect email address. I hope you get to read my reply Diane!

Filed Under 2010 06 (Jun), 2010 07 (Jul) · 1 Comment

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