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Pests & BS Coming on in Third Year...

francie12
15 years ago

This is my third year of roses, mostly OGR and Austin, no-spray. I had an amazing spring flush this year, but now some problems are starting to build... Aphids I deal with by squishing, also rose slugs, but now blackspot is rearing it's head. The first two years I had minimal to no problem with any of these! A question for the experts: Will Bon-Neem soap work on blackspot and/or rose slugs (sawfly larvae)? And is it really safe? That is, safe enough to apply without gloves?

Comments (6)

  • Kimmsr
    15 years ago

    Nothing that you spray around your garden that kills insects or halts plant diseases is really safe and anything used for those purposes should be used with due care. Some materials you use for these purposes may be less toxic than others but if they kill insects they are toxic, poisons and if the material is to control a disease pathogen it too is toxic, depending on the dose and how often you are exposed.
    I see nothing on the label to indicate that product would be used to control Black Spot or rose slugs.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    15 years ago

    francie, your product should be very effective against the rose slug (it's listed on the label, but even if it weren't it works on 'em.) Also, Neem is an effective fungicide and is often used to control and prevent black spot on roses. Most Neem products are comprised of 70% active ingredient...the Bon-neem is 75% neem. Next year, begin spraying with a neem product BEFORE you see any black spot. It is very effective in preventing outbreaks from happening in the first place.

    You should always carefully read the entire label of any product that you use. Whether you are using a plain insecticidal soap product or this particular mix, you are warned to wear gloves and protective eye wear.

    Good luck in getting rid of your problems....I think you'll have good results.

  • Kimmsr
    15 years ago

    Spraying anything for any reason for an organic gardener is always a last resort process, not something that is done first and foremost, and continually. The way an organic gardener would solve the problem would be to make the soil the plants are growing in into a good, healthy soil that will grow strong and healthy plants that will be much less susceptible to insect pests and diseases.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    15 years ago

    Some insect and disease problems flourish on susceptible species of plants (like some roses) no matter how healthy the soil, kimmsr. A smart gardener is aware of that. Nipping a potential pest population before it gets out of hand is, indeed, the responsible thing to do.

    Gaining control of a problem early means fewer problems later on. And using a product like neem to prevent an outbreak of black spot is, by far, a better option than trying to get rid of it once it has become a problem.

    Fostering healthy soil and plants, monitoring for problems on a regular basis, good (garden) housekeeping practices, mechanical removal of feeding pests are all important tasks for a healthy garden. So is the judicial and thoughtful use of pest control products when required.

  • Kimmsr
    15 years ago

    The "Judicial and thoughtful use of pest control products" is the key and spraying anything on a daily basis is neither "judicial or thoughtful". There are many garden writers, today, that are telling you to "get your soil into a good healthy condition so your plants grow up strong and healthy" just as I have been doing for many years because they have seen that that will reduce the need to spray for any reason. I realize there are skeptics that do not believe the "good, healthy soil" mantra because they have not bothered to try to get there, thinking it is too hard, failing to get good, reliable soil tests done periodically and simply continue pouring poisons into our environment (even the eco friendly poisons are not good) killing off the good insect predators and pollinators because they cannot make that transition completely.

  • francie12
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks for the input. I'm trying to strip all BS affected leaves off my roses and am attempting to control further disease with a 3 T vinegar to 5 ltr water solution. It is working on the PM...jury is out on the BS. I tried the Bon-Neem on two of the most disease-ridden. I'll check in to let you all know how things go.

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