It’s been six weeks since my greenhouse was installed and it gives me great joy every day. I’m not saying I was waiting in excitement for some pests to show their ugly head, but I knew it was bound to happen. One morning I noticed something looking like a white dust on the leaves of my Victor Borge rose. And when I took photos of the buds – and zoomed in – there was no doubt in my mind the aphids had arrived. Didn’t take long for it to spread their love over to Rhapsody in Blue as well. In warmer countries lady bugs and soldier beetles keep them in check, but we don’t have them in Iceland.
I asked a my group on Facebook for advice and there were many. Oh, so many. Dishwasher liquid, lemon drops and garlic to name a few. I also got information on organic pesticides that’s available in Iceland, bugs that eat the aphids. I had memories of my aunt Svana spraying her gorgeous roses with a certain kind of organic soap, so I decided to try that at first. Putting some garlic cloves in the soil couldn’t harm either.
For five days I’ve been spraying the roses with a blend of water and this soap every morning and night. I make sure the blend is really mild and it’s important to wash the roses thoroughly afterwards. It’s obvious that this method works, but unfortunately I notice a few aphids every day nevertheless. That’s why I decided to order the organic pesticides. It should take care of the rest.
I was afraid the buds wouldn’t be able to open due to the aphids, but it’s evident my beautiful sweeties are trying their best.
This website and all its content is owned by Sigridur Petursdottir. The recipes on PurelySigga.com are for personal use only. It’s prohibited for restaurants, coffee shops, bistros, catering services and food production companies to use them without a written permission from the owner. Without such a permission you can’t either republish, copy, change, download or reproduce any recipe or photo on PurelySigga.com
