@tot607
I, too, only use a spray of plain water to wash the aphids off of my roses. I grow over 100 roses and have never had a serious aphid infestation just using water for aphid control.
Soap is a sticker and can actually impact the beneficial insects in your garden, too.
I read years ago that aphids don't have lungs and once they are washed off of a plant, they don't return. You really don't have to worry about
killing them.
I use the hose with a fairly gentle spray setting on the nozzle to spray my plants and often just put my hand behind young, tender growth and just wash the bugs off and move onto the next rose. I don't want to take the time to constantly be refilling a spray bottle. I guess I am kind of lazy that way. There's enough to do in the garden in spring when aphids show up that I tackle these kinds of issues in a manner that is easy for me and works to solve the problem.
Smiles,
Lyn
