I think it works sometimes. I take companion planting under a larger umbrella, with a fuzzy boundary between companion planting and inter cropping. Anney the first article on the CPB was very interesting, and it makes me glad I don't have this pest. I don't seem to have the squash vine borers either. However, I have pests that are not covered under the two best known books on companion planting that I have: 'Carrots love tomatoes' by Louise Riotte, and 'Great garden companions' by Sally Cunningham. I like using some of the principles explained in the last book, however, it is for a very different climate than mine. They do not have stink bugs and harlequin bugs in New York, and I cannot grow some of the herbs/flowers she recommends in southern California. I do not think she can grow chayote or artichokes, and I cannot grow parsnips or cherry trees. So even though I recommend both books, you might find yourself like me, following the same plot line but changing the characters. I see different scenarios in companion planting: -plant something that will attract pollinators (then you get more cukes and squashes, and other fruit). That one is a no brainer. Some details in this though are to plant the type of pollinator attractors so flowering happens when you need it. If your citrus flowers in the spring, it is not going to help your chayote in the fall (change your characters according to your zone here). -plant crops that will be compatible so you can harvest more out of your land and eat more (buy less of those flavorless grocery store vegetables). The tomatoes and carrots fall under this strategy for me. The carrots will 'fit' under the tomato canopy and be protected from sun that is too harsh during peak tomato season. They will get less light than ideal and the carrots will be skinny, but I can still get carrots. How about peas and tomatoes? I use tomato cages and plant bush peas on the outside. The peas like the cages. When they are about to produce, or at some time along their life, I plant baby tomatoes inside the cage. The peas shield the tomatoes from wind and too much sun, so the seedlings are somewhat protected. By the time they need their own space the peas are gone. -plant something that will attract a beneficial that will eat a bad guy eating your plants. I get aphids on my favas and on my artichokes sometimes. I plant cilantro and other lady bug attracting plants near them. I have lady bugs on everything that tends to attract aphids. I know I have aphids too (what would they be eating?) but they are under control. I only get aphids on the artichokes after they are done, and I get no aphid damage on the favas. I get some stink bug damage to favas so I lose about 10% to them. I accept 10% loss on any crop as cost of doing business. -Divide and conquer. I can grow some crops problem free, so I can bunch them (tomatoes, carrots, beans, potatoes, artichokes). Cole crops are another story. The Brassica olearacea family in particular. Kale, collards are not too hard. Broccoli, gai lan, cauliflowers, brussels sprouts are harder. So I plant those in different beds. I just surround them with other plants in different families. I just surround them with legumes, herbs, carrots, beets...Not perfect and totally pest free, but it certainly works better. This way, you could get infestation in one, but not all, which certainly will happen with monocropping. We just ate some very nice and large cauliflowers - almost pest free. -Surround your plants by some herb/flower that repels your pests. Supposedly, epazote and mints will repel the ants that farm aphids on your artichokes, favas, cowpeas. This did work on one of my artichokes, now I have to get rid of the mint around it (not a problem for me) so you have side effects to your companion remedies sometimes. One of my cauliflowers was surrounded by oregano, I did not get a single aphid on it, while the one farther away (oregano free) did have some aphids (sprayed with water and brought in some lady bugs). The one surrounded by oregano did not even need anything done though. Doing nothing at all is even better than a gentle bio-friendly spray/remedy. However, oregano is a thug in the garden, and now I have to harvest aggressively. (Hot oregano tea baths, anyone?) OK, there is more but I have to go weed and plant okra. I did not mean to write an essay. I suppose I should mention I use no chemical pesticide (maybe it is obvious already?). I avoid neem oil as well because my neighbor raises bees. I do feed ourselves from the garden (veggies and fruits for two people and 4 little dogs).

I second seil's suggestion of dish soap & water in a spray bottle. I have about 20 rose bushes & sprayed them all on Sunday. I targeted the aphids as carefully as I could but I have 2 climbing roses 2' taller than I am & just did the best I could. On Monday, about 95% of the aphids were gone. I resprayed & today (Tues) I noticed lots of dead brown aphids on the leaves. I resprayed the few roses that needed it & I hope I'm done (until the next infestation.) I'm wondering if using a dormant spray before next winter will kill the aphids so I don't have this problem next year.

If you have had squash borers infest your squash previously, chances are his larvae is in the soil from last year. That larvae can find the roots, so covering the base will only block new moths looking to lay their annoying little babies, not the ones you already have. I have wrapped my stems with plastic wrap and foil, and it didn't help. I rip up plants when infested and throw them away-and STILL get them. I loathe those bugs, they kill my squash every year. Last year I grew a late crop in an earthbox, and it made up for all the loss. I had about a dozen summer squash without any freaking borers from that box-oddly mostly pollinated by fruit flies too! Woot! This year I am growing in both the garden and earthboxes. I have row covers for the boxes too. I just need to time the season these freaking moths from hell will be here. Most articles say late June-early July, but is that too general for all zones? I think I am 6b-7. So this year (2014) my attack will be crop rotation (I always do-but brand new spot completely never had squash-only butternut) and row covers during the moth stage. I will also have a back up crop started in seed starters in case of infestation. They break me every year, but I always try and try again! -I also have bunnies, aphids, powdery mildew, slugs it's a constant battle here! Good luck to you all and quick death to them!

Could any rosarians who read Russian tell us about anything in this article (thesis?) that is not well known in the West? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Google translation of beginning of PDF: Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation NATIONAL RESEARCH TOMSK STATE UNIVERSITY (NE TGU) Department of Biology Department of Plant Protection EXTENDED QUALIFICATION OF BACHELOR PROTECTION OF ROSE FROM PENALTIES AND DISEASES IN THE GREENHOUSE COMPLEX LLC TRUBACHEVO on the basic educational program of the preparation of bachelors direction of training 3 5.03.04-Agronomy Ugryumova Viktoria Nikolaevna ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENT 1 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 4 1.1 Biology and cultivation of roses 4 1.1.1 Botanical description 4 1.1.2 Varieties and groups of roses 5 1.1.3 Features of roses growing in the closed ground 9 1.2 Mushroom diseases of roses 13 1.2.1 Powdery Mildew 13 1.2.2 Gray rot 14 1.2.3 Black spotting. 16 1.2.4 Rust 17 1.2.5 Fusariosis 17 1.2.6 Infectious burn (stem cancer) of roses 18 1.2.7 Downy mildew (Peronosporosis) 19 1.2.8 Pestalotsiosis 20 1.2.9 Tracheomycosis wiltings 21 1.2.10 Ordinary Cancer 22 1.2.11 Non-opening of buds 22 1.3 Pest of roses 23 1.3.1 Cobwebs 24 1.3.2 Aphids 25 1.4 Methods of protecting roses from diseases and pests 27 1.4.1 Agrotechnical methods 1.4.1 Agrotechnical methods of combating diseases 27 1.4.2 The biological method of pest control 29 1.4.3 Chemical method of disease control 30 http://vital.lib.tsu.ru/vital/access/services/Download/vital:2765/SOURCE01