[mashbintater]

I've been that busy nurturing my veggies, I've neglected my roses, they're crawling with green & black flies. I've tried squiring them with soapy water, but of course they just come back. Anything environmentally friendly I can use? I've seen the odd baby ladybird, but they're few & far between. I've placed a couple of mint plants nearby thinking they might be a deterrent, maybe I should've used garlic. I'm waiting on other herbs to germinate, but they're not happening quickly enough. Anyone advise me please? Thanks in advance.

[compostqueen]

I grow garlic round mine and the bed is surrounded with chives but I think until you get the hoverflies and bluetits out you'll need to keep hand washing them off. Not seem them on my roses yet but my dahlias in the greenhouse are covered in them. Washed them off and they've not returned yet. Fingers crossed.   You can get organic insecticide but I've not found that it works so I keep washing them off with either a gentle hosing or washing up water. Plant some calendula round them cos they attract hover flies which should hoover up your aphids

[mashbintater]

Thanks compost queen, interestingly enough, I get both hoverflies & blue tits in my garden but they're more interested in my blackcurrant bush which is only about 8 ft away from that rose. Maybe the rose is too close to my back door for them.

[muntjac]

washing up liquid with water and just spray them down ...

[compostqueen]

I always used to chuck my washing up water on me roses. I've got a dishwasher now. Think I'll have to revert back as I spied greenfly in my greenhouse today  :roll:

[mashbintater]

That's what I've been doing Muntjac, very frequently. I've also planted nasturtium seedlings in hanging baskets around the rose buds, they're companions, don't know if they'll help. I've nasturtiums all over my garden as they self seed. They're still loaded with greenfly  

[peterjf]

we grow african marigolds to encourage hover flies , which in turn munch away on the greenflies and afids , we grow the marigolds all over our allotment , along with nastursiums, COMPANIAN PLANTING ,

[mashbintater]

Thanks Peterjf, I have marigold seedlings everywhere and also practise companion planting, will keep trying.

[chrissie B]

to get a quick solution but not very Eco friendly but it helps to get rid of the bulk till you can get some thing else is fly spray in the evening , we use cockroach and ant and it seems to keep them off for ages and the pesky big green bugs that like the centres of the roses ad irises .
Chrissie b