Question

Help!  My climbing roses were covered in green fly, literally hundreds of them.Help! My climbing roses were covered in green fly, literally hundreds of them. I followed what people were saying on here about making your own bug spray with water, fairy liquid and a small amount of cooking oil, now all my leaves are shrivelled and look like they're dieing. Please tell me I haven't killed them?! On the plus side, no more bugs!  

Answer 1

Never heard of cooking oil  definitely fairy diluted in water spray bottle. Always worked for me

Comments

Agree plus don’t do it when the suns out x

---

@saintsimon oh dear sounds like it’s cooked!  

Answer 2

Also don’t spray in the sun .  

Answer 3

I wonder are they burnt?  

Answer 4

Ah. the sun may have been my problem  will it come back?  

Answer 5

I would wash all that off with water . Maybe the oil has magnified the leaves to the sun etc

Answer 6

Plant marigolds and garlic amonst your roses, green and blackfly dont like the smell, i do that for runner beans ect, dont get any on them

Answer 7

Next time leave out the oil. Might not kill as many bugs but won't cook your plant in the sun.  

Answer 8

Just washing up liquid and water no oil

Answer 9

I use fairy liquid diluted in a spray bottle. and do it either first thing on a morning or later in evening

Answer 10

My grandad used to swear by a mix we made to spray in the horses to keep flys off them it had citronella water and white vinegar we had had horses and he made the same for roses x

Answer 11

Add crushed garlic to it

Comments

Does that help with the vampires too :P

Answer 12

Never used oil only water n washing up liquid

Answer 13

For again plant some lavender beside them it stops the greenfly - for now fairy and water no oil

Answer 14

Could be down to damage by the green fly as well but it will recover

Answer 15

The oil when the sun shines on the leaves causes them to burn and wither, just washing up liquid and water , after found the dishes I throw the water out on the plant's

Answer 16

Leave them for abit longer the ladybirds babies love them

Answer 17

The oil could potentially seal the leaves basically suffocating them. The best method is nature. Let the birds and ladybirds take care of them for you. Encourage them in your garden and you won't have a problem. In the meantime, give your rose a good feed.  

Answer 18

@anastase bug killer spray

Answer 19

I use a mild mix of washing up liquid and water, no oil, Wild life in garden can help too have you got black ants?  

Answer 20

Washing liq and water and a spray bottle with good pressure to blast them off when you spray

Answer 21

You have probably fried them with the oil

Answer 22

Don't use too much fairy liquid either-I made that mistake once and all the leaves dropped off! It's fine now though. I used a tiny dash of washing up liquid with some white vinegar and water for the lemon tree. Then a few days later gave it a blast with the hose pipe to wash them away.  

Answer 23

Fairy liquid and neem oil.  

Answer 24

Who said to use oil never do that also not on hot day

Answer 25

Never heard of oil.  

Answer 26

It the cooking oil

Answer 27

What I read wad that oil helps the mixture stick to the plant. Only used a little bit, but could explain why they've been fried! Anyway, what I'd really like to know is if they come back/ what I need to do. Can't get ant rose feed at the minute but have general plant good that ive used to try and help

Comments

@donalddonaldson hose down the plant and leaves. Cut back as much as you can. Tie in everything else which (now) needs tying in. Feed it really well (ideally with a granular slow-release feed - roses are heavy feeders and climbing roses even more so). Water it in well and wait. Should be ok as long as it wasn’t a new plant. And don’t use oil! Whoever suggested that was incorrect. Spray really early (before 6) or late (after 8pm).  

Answer 28

Dont use oil, water and washing up liquid and that's it or find some ladybirds and put them on there

Answer 29

Could be damage from green and black fly. You can scrape the fly off with your fingers or if covered or damaged remove the leaves and buds.  

Answer 30

I use rose clear spray it's not cheap but it definitely works

Answer 31

Garlic and onion water works as well

Answer 32

NO OIL  

Answer 33

Never heard of adding oil to it. Just bit of washing up liquid in water works

Answer 34

Buy Bug Gun. it works

Answer 35

Blue tits and sparrows have feasted on my greenfly and they’re nearly all gone

Answer 36

I only use washing up water and it does the trick would never use cooking oil

Answer 37

Oil ?  

Answer 38

Only use water, preferably a hose and spray them off. Oil and washing up liquid can block the leaf pores. You can use a tiny bit of washing up liquid but only use eco ones, they're not as thick. Never use oil! Someone gave you some bad advice I'm afraid, you may have to cut it back so it can regenerate new leaves

Answer 39

You may have cooked the leaves nowmy mum always used washing up liquid & water . Good luck  

Answer 40

Cooking oil! Wash it off! Just soapy water!  

Answer 41

Oil? Never use that

Answer 42

Only soapy water and never spray them in the sun, only early morning or evening x

Comments

@ketron are you related to Monty Don  x

Answer 43

Just leave it and it should come back  

Answer 44

There's no problem using oil (it helps the soap stick to the greenfly) although it's best not to spray during the day. Better to use real soap than washing-up liquid - some brands can be very high in sodium, which can be damaging to plants.  

Answer 45

It was only fairy liquid and water spray  no oil Oil in sun must have damaged ur rose leaves

Answer 46

I'm so sorry someone told you to use oil! Have a flipping word with them! As people have said, try hosing it off a bit - it should get rid of a bit of oil and also dislodge any dead bits. It should come back ok with new leaves really soon, don't worry. Only ever do stuff like this well before or after the sun is on it, for any plant. Fingers crossed for you  

Answer 47

Great advice folks  

Answer 48

I bought some lady bird larvae to help some of my plants, it's always in the front garden they reside, fingers crossed they do the trick. I use just washing up liquid and water on my Rose's in the back garden and it worked a treat, never heard of using oil though!