| I am new to rose gardening and put down a thick layer of pine nugget chips in my bed last year. We had a lot of rain in the NE this year and I had alot of black spot. I also noticed slugs liked to hide under the chips. Not to mention I had a big problem with rose midge!! I use other kinds of quicker degrading mulch in my perennial beds and was wondering if the bark chips made the black spot and bug problems worse. Does disease overwinter on the chips? Should I use a different kind of mulch? I'll remove them if I have to. I don't want to hurt the roses. Thank you! |
| immediately. Insecticidal soap may also be effective or can be used as a safeguard measure. You might also apply beneficial nematodes (such as Grub Guard from Gardener's Supply Co. www.gardeners.com; ph# 800/863-1700) to the soil around the base of your roses. They'll feast on the pupae of any surviving midges. If there are wild roses nearby that harbor a reservoir population of midges, cut them down if you can or apply nematodes to the soil around them, as well. Good luck with your roses! immediately. Insecticidal soap may also be effective or can be used as a safeguard measure. You might also apply beneficial nematodes (such as Grub Guard from Gardener's Supply Co. www.gardeners.com; ph# 800/863-1700) to the soil around the base of your roses. They'll feast on the pupae of any surviving midges. If there are wild roses nearby that harbor a reservoir population of midges, cut them down if you can or apply nematodes to the soil around them, as well. Good luck with your roses! |
