Rose Garden Care With Beneficial Garden Allies

Despite good rose garden care, they will appear sooner or later: Ugly diseases and insatiable pests – it is not a tragedy if you are prepared for it

All rose lovers would wish for a cure-all against any disease and pest infestation.  The market already provides countless chemical agents with which any infestation can be immediately kept at bay, but for me and many other gardeners, pesticides are the last resort.

Nature offers enough possibilities to face the enemies of roses. You just have to create the “basic conditions” for a natural control of pests and diseases.

Natural Plant Protection Without Chemicals

People tend to wait until something happens, then fight the effects. The same applies to rose garden care. We know about the diseases and pest on our flowers but ignore the fact most of them can be avoided by prevention.

To attract several “beneficial pests” (sic!) helping you with your rose garden care does not mean to rear a whole zoo. Inviting some of them will contribute keeping your garden and roses in a healthy balance.

I hope you will find some useful tips to make your rose gardening and your overall gardening life much easier.

Beneficial Insects

A garden is a world of its own, in which nature reigns and humans only regulate a little bit.

We can hardly prevent insects from settling between the many flowers and shrubs. This is desired in many cases because not every insect is a pest. 

These small animals can use and harm your garden, that’s why it is important to ensure not to chase the useful ones.

Ladybugs, green lacewings, hoverflies or even mason bees are real pest predators. Mainly aphids take a very high ranking on their menu. 

To attract these natural pest predators to your garden is the best way to deal with garden pests.

Useful Creatures against Pests

Moles

Sometimes it is really, really difficult to love moles. They are useful for the garden, although you will be distracted by molehills.

Moles exterminate about 80 to 120 grams of small animals per day, half their body weight. Their food includes pests such as snails, grubs and leatherjackets. Moles also dislodge plant-eating voles.

Toads

Beneficial toads can help control damaging insects. The average toad will eat 50-100 insects every night.

A functional toad house provides a cool retreat from the hot sun and gives toads a shelter from predators.

Birds

Birds eat insects, mollusks and, in some cases, even small animals.  That makes them effective beneficial pest control animals in our gardens. Gardeners could promote the settlement of useful birds with artificial nesting aids.

The great tit is probably the smallest plumed helper in pest control in the garden. Unfortunately very rare in the USA, the bird feeds on insects in summer. On the menu are mainly caterpillars - including codling moth and winter moth - as well as aphids, scale insects, harmful butterflies and bugs.

Each year, a couple of great tits, which breed once or twice a year, devours approximately 35 to 75 kilograms of insects.

Hedgehogs

For me, the cutest animal to visit the garden. Hedgehogs are carnivores and feed on animal food like worms, insects or snails.

Fruits are not on their menu, but the many small creatures they find at windfalls. Unfortunately, hedgehogs are not native to the USA.

To spot one of them in your garden is hardly probable.

Organic Measures against Pests

The typical rose garden care program such as fertilizing, watering or cleaning out is, of course, an important necessity to keep roses healthy and free of pests and diseases.

The organic garden pharmacy knows many domestic remedies to prevent and get rid of garden pests.

Most ingredients grow in every garden or is at hand in the kitchen.

The most useful remedies for rose garden care

The richness of the natural garden pharmacy knows no limits and gives us the possibility to completely spare pesticides. Basic prerequisite is an early detection of the pests and immediate action.

Once the infestation is at an advanced stage, it's hard to save the affected plants by natural means.

From the ingredients, you can make several natural substances for the use against pests and diseases.

The following pages will guide you through various recipes to use on your roses.