Newbie Rosarian-Thrips Concerns

11 years ago

Hi!

This is my first year growing roses and I went overboard with the quantity, hehe. They are all in 5 gallon containers. It has come to my attention that some, not all, have thrips on the buds and open flowers. As I've read these are one of the scourges of roses. What is a home gardener to do to get rid of these horrid creatures that won't cost an arm and a leg? I've managed to contain and deal with aphids but the thrips are challenging. Throw me a bone ya'll, I need an effective long term solution, if that is possible.

Be gentle with me,
Michael :-)

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Comments (3)

seil zone 6b MI
11 years ago
Thrips are really a hard one because they live down inside the buds and are nearly impossible to get at. I don't know what insecticide works best but you have to spray down into every bud diligently. Even then there is no guarantee. I had them terrible last spring and they just about killed my rose show season for me.
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michaelg
11 years ago
You can't get rid of flower thrips. They use many different plants, weeds, and crops as hosts, so they are everywhere in the environment. Often in late spring, towards the end of the first flush of roses, they build up to the point of doing noticeable damage. Then usually they subside as predators build up. In my garden, I hardly ever notice them after the first flush. However, people in the lower South and Texas report having more trouble than I do. Some years they will be very bad, other years not so, depending on weather patterns.

Some rose varieties attract more thrips or show thrips damage worse than others. White and blush-pink roses are generally the worst. However, certain pale varieties like Quietness and Kronprinzessin Viktoria are not bothered much. Red, deep yellow, and orange roses will be fine. So one thing you can do is weed out the varieties that have the worst problem. You can ask here about susceptibility of varieties you are considering.

I don't do anything beyond that. However, the recommended chemical control is spinosad (generic name of insecticide sold under various brand names). To control thrips you would spray buds as soon as the sepals crack to show color, and again when the bud is partly open. Don't spray open flowers as that endangers pollinators. Instead perhaps you would cut buds for the vase. Don't spray unless thrips are causing problems. Spinosad is classed as a reduced risk pesticide, and it is not as hard on beneficial insects as some insecticides. Still, because spraying for thrips is not really necessary, I don't personally recommend doing it.
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nanadollZ7 SWIdaho
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Newbie Rosarian-Thrips Concerns

Comments (3)

seil zone 6b MI

michaelg

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