First thing you need to know is that plants get aphids. Fortunately, the remedies are easy:
- Squish, perhaps protecting your fingers with a tissue;
- wash off w/ a harsh water spray;
- and apply direct hits of insecticidal soap, diluted according to label directions.

When it comes to companion planting, some gardeners swear by such groupings while others don't.

Overall, the best strategy for all plants, whether in the ground or containers, is to put the right plant in the right place, then provide the right follow-up care.

Let's take that apart:
- The right plant: Choose kinds known to be successful in your region.
- The right place: Which site will be best -- sun, shade, or half and half?
- The right follow-up:
- - - 1. Maintain the moisture content of the entire root zone as needed by that particular plant (wet, moist or on the dry side; in the latter instance, make certain the plant has first had a chance to develop a good root system)
- - - 2. Fertilize if needed: Seasonal vegetables and flowers generally need extra fertilizer to provide the optimum yields we expect; container-grown plants will need smaller but more frequent doses because the fertilizer literally washes out ; ornamental trees and shrubs in the ground seldom need fertilizer.
- - - 3. Protect from excess sunlight and/or heat as needed, particularly when they are first planted.
- - -4. Visit your plants every several days or so to make certain they're doing well; when complications set in, find out what it is and deal with it promptly and in an appropriate manner.

Have fun w/ your plants.

Thank for starting thread with some information related to Spider Mites. It would be a great help to newbie. Thanks for the post.

Perhaps this is a subject for a new thread, but do lady bugs eat spider mites? I found them living as a companion to my rose bush all last season.

i dont see lady bugs go after spider mites

to get rid of the spider mites, the MOST effective thing i have ever found is simple castile soap and olive oil in a sprayer bottle.

mimosamonster - what is the ratio for the castille soap and olive oil? 1:1 ? Do you dilute at all?

oh yeah... i use the soap flakes off a bar of soap(i use dr bronners which i think you can get at publix still) ... couple of tablespoons in a sprayer..... maybe more if they seem like they are more durable...a few tablespoons of oil as well. just make sure to test a small part of the plant before going all in. for the most part you should know by the next day if the spray is too strong.

I planted garlic all around my rose bushes this year, and it DIDn't seem to help with spider mites, or black spot--but no powdery mildew---maybe it would have been WORSE without them... It DID seem to stop any Japanese beetles or June bugs from munching...

I planted garlic all around my rose bushes this year, and it DIDn't seem to help with spider mites, or black spot--but no powdery mildew---maybe it would have been WORSE without them... It DID seem to stop any Japanese beetles or June bugs from munching...

Thank you, Beshara, for that great tip against Japanese beetles .... I have them here when the summer is hot. I have some chives (with pretty purple flowers in spring). Hopefully that works .. will try that.

The rose-breeder Kim Rupert (Roseseek) who had over a thousand roses in his California garden, mentioned that marigolds attract spider-mites. He's right, I checked with the book written by rosarian Field Roebuck of Texas .. he stated that plants like marigolds. Some points from Field's book:

3) Marigolds are spider-mites magnets, but good for deterring nematodes.

4) The herb rue is an insect repellent, and is especially effective against Japanese Beetles. The book stated that Geraniums also have the same quality.

5) The edible alliums - garlic chives, chives, and onions are efffective against aphids and spider mites.

See below links for more tips from rosarian Field Roebuck:

Here is a link that might be useful: Field Roebuck book on roses

I put up the question once before on rose site . One answer I got back was maybe it was effects of the winter. But now a lot of my leaves have been eaten into plus I saw some spider webbing at the top then I knew and it also looks just like all the images on yahoo of mite damage on roses.

What I used was a mix of some horticultural spray oil with water and a couple drops of dish soap. Ive already hit it twice and may hit again and hope it solves the problem.

Hi Hummersteve: That's a great idea, please let us know how that work out. I had spider-mite infestation before, that was tough. Thanks.

Wondering if the horticultural oil and dish soap remedy worked? I'm going to try something similar, but also adding rosemary essential oil. Any thoughts?