Japanese beetles have begun to invade our new rosebush plantings. My son is learning the hard way that roses can be a lot of work.
I did some research on the handy Internet to see if there was some non-chemical way to discourage Japanese beetles from munching on our flowers and bushes. What I found is easy and seems to work wonders. Here's the secret:
GARLIC
Apparently Japanese beetles hate the stuff. Sort of like vampires.
To make the beetles go away, you'll need:
1 spray bottle
garlic
water
Puree a couple cloves of garlic with some water in a blender or food processor. Strain the liquid to get the little chunks of garlic out - you don't want them clogging the nozzle of your spray bottle. Pour the strained garlic liquid into your spray bottle.
Spray your rose bushes, flowers and all, with the garlic water. You will be rewarded with the site of Japanese beetles taking flight to get the heck away from your foul-smelling potion.
Sure, your roses won't smell as sweet, but at least they'll be intact and not all eaten up.
I'll be sure to keep plenty of garlic on hand for the coming Japanese beetle season. Another reason to think of me as Van Helsing.
I did some research on the handy Internet to see if there was some non-chemical way to discourage Japanese beetles from munching on our flowers and bushes. What I found is easy and seems to work wonders. Here's the secret:
GARLIC
Apparently Japanese beetles hate the stuff. Sort of like vampires.
To make the beetles go away, you'll need:
1 spray bottle
garlic
water
Puree a couple cloves of garlic with some water in a blender or food processor. Strain the liquid to get the little chunks of garlic out - you don't want them clogging the nozzle of your spray bottle. Pour the strained garlic liquid into your spray bottle.
Spray your rose bushes, flowers and all, with the garlic water. You will be rewarded with the site of Japanese beetles taking flight to get the heck away from your foul-smelling potion.
Sure, your roses won't smell as sweet, but at least they'll be intact and not all eaten up.
I'll be sure to keep plenty of garlic on hand for the coming Japanese beetle season. Another reason to think of me as Van Helsing.
In the fall I'm thinking of planting a few garlic cloves around my rose bushes. Unusual, I know, but the plants that come up in the spring may discourage the nasty beetles without the fuss of spraying.
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2 comments:
Hiya,
A couple of years back they sold spray cans with a garlic compound. Bayer, a Swiss pharmaceutical company.
I used it with absolutely no success. And I am not keen on the smell of garlic.
What I did try was the NYTimes cucumber thingie: slices on an aluminum baking tray: they fit neatly in the dips of a muffin tin. Not because I expected it to work, but because it looked so decorative. The combo is supposed to send any bug on its way because of the smell.
Surprisingly, it does work. Indoors. These nasty little midge-type flies on houseplants? No more. Mind you, I don't know where they went to. I could be in for a nasty surprise when I open a drawer or cupboard :-)
Hi Jo!
My homemade garlic spray seems to be working well right now. But it's early in the season and the real invasion hasn't begun yet. Last year the Japanese beetles were a menace. They came in numbers I haven't seen before. I'm hoping they're like apple trees and this year will be an off year after last year's big hurrah :-)
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