Pet safe plant treatment

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I am hoping that someone has a remedy for problems with roses. My

roses are currently infested with aphids and some of them unfortunately

have fungus as well. Does anyone know of a pet safe remedy for this

problem? Or perhaps something I can make at home and apply to my roses?

The store brands all have warnings that they are toxic to humans and

domestic animals. I need some help with finding something natural that

is safe. My yorkie in particular LOVES to smell and sometimes pick the

flowers so I am always very cautious as I want her to be safe and

healthy!!:-) Any feedback would be appreciated.

I also wanted to mention that I was at Oakridge Mall and I saw that

there was a place selling those tiny turtles and hermit crabs. I

remember (I believe it was Sean) that someone got Valley Fair to put a

stop to selling the turtles at least. Does anyone know what I can do to

have them stop selling them at Oakridge as well?

 

Thanks,

Deborah

[Guest guest]

There is never any need to use poisons on roses.

 

Short term: You definitely want to wash aphids off your plants if ants

start farming them, or if your new leaves are overwhelmed. But in general,

don't worry about aphids. The beneficial insects who eat aphids need a

population to start with and will move in soon -- lacewings and syrphid

flies especially; also lady beetles.

 

If the aphids are too thick, you can easily wash them off with water.

Aphids are not strong enough to get back on the plant if they are washed

off -- some have wings, allowing them to waft onto your tender young rose

leaves, and the ones born parthenogenetically often are not winged.

 

You can also buy or make various dilute soapy solutions (a teaspoon to a

tablespoon of dishwashing soap per quart of water) to wash aphids off

plants, but that is overkill.

 

For black spot and mildew, try a spray with veg oil and baking soda. I've

seen various combos -- for instance, per gallon of water, 2 tablespoons oil

and 1 tablespoon baking soda. The Cornell formula for powdery mildew and

black spot uses 2 tbsp of ultralight horticultural oil (Sunspray oil is the

best known brand), 1 heaping tbsp of baking soda, 1 tbsp of mild liquid

dishwashing soap, in 1 gallon of water, mixed well and used in a pump-up

sprayer. (I think veg oil could be used instead?)

 

For black spot, mildew, and rust, make a spray with a tablespoon of cider

vinegar in a quart of water.

 

For sickly leaves, try a spray with a teaspoon of liquid seaweed in a quart

of water.

 

Another thing I read about but haven't tried is a handful of cornmeal

sprinkled around each plant once a year (now or earlier). Apparently corn

meal attracts the Trichoderma fungus which eats other fungi, especially

disease-causing fungi, in the soil.

 

Long term: Three inches of mulch, plus compost tea! I recently went to a

Saturday workshop by the leading proponent of aerobically activated compost

tea, Elaine Ingalls (soilfoodweb.com). Some local people brew compost tea.

Basically, the idea is that you grow beneficial aerobic microrganisms,

spray them on soil and/or foliage, and thereby displace any pathological

ones.

 

Some public gardens are even using compost tea as part of organic garden

maintenance. In the Seattle area, soildynamics.com does amazing ecological

restoration projects using compost and compost tea.

 

 

Tanya Kucak

 

 

 

At 2:23 PM -0800 3/7/04, Deborah B La Fond wrote:

>Hi all,

> I am hoping that someone has a remedy for problems with roses. My

>roses are currently infested with aphids and some of them unfortunately

>have fungus as well. Does anyone know of a pet safe remedy for this

>problem? Or perhaps something I can make at home and apply to my roses?

> The store brands all have warnings that they are toxic to humans and

>domestic animals. I need some help with finding something natural that

>is safe. My yorkie in particular LOVES to smell and sometimes pick the

>flowers so I am always very cautious as I want her to be safe and

>healthy!!:-) Any feedback would be appreciated.

> I also wanted to mention that I was at Oakridge Mall and I saw that

>there was a place selling those tiny turtles and hermit crabs. I

>remember (I believe it was Sean) that someone got Valley Fair to put a

>stop to selling the turtles at least. Does anyone know what I can do to

>have them stop selling them at Oakridge as well?

>

>Thanks,

>Deborah

>

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