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Rose Slugs repelled?

Posted by jim1961 6a Central Pa. (My Page) on
Fri, Aug 8, 14 at 11:53

I'm not much one to plant flowers around our roses but that's changing.
Something interesting happened this year.
First off every year since 2008 we have had moderate to severe rose slug damage here. Our rose slugs are here from May until November...

Anyhow this year I decided to plant Marigolds around all our roses mostly because I like there color and they bloom non stop all season...

Well I'm happy to report here in August that all our roses that have Marigolds planted around them have VERY LITTLE to NO Rose Slug damage at all...
I'm surely doing a Happy Dance this year!

BUT wait! I have one Rose Bush planted in a container that DID NOT have any Marigolds planted near it.

AND GUESS WHAT? Rose slugs have had a field day with it all season even though I've been picking them off time to time. And I had to pick more Rose Slugs off that rose today... pics below:

Yes I know Marigolds can be a pain in the a**! We planted the exact same kind of Marigolds up at the Grave-site of my grandparents and something kept eating the leaves off the Marigiolds... But they have recovered and are blooming away now...

And I know Marigolds can draw other unwanted insect pests to them...

But we are not having those problems here so far just good things happening....

 photo IMG_1317_zps3cf5c3c1.jpg

Rose we have in a container being eaten by rose slugs...

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This post was edited by jim1961 on Fri, Aug 8, 14 at 14:01


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

Marigolds are famous for repelling bad nematodes in the soil, so I am not surprised that they also repel above ground pests. Thanks for the tip!

Jackie


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

  • Posted by seil z6b MI (My Page) on
    Fri, Aug 8, 14 at 16:20

I've read for years to plant marigolds around your tomatoes to keep the tomato worms away. A worms a worm so I guess that's why it seems to work for roses too!


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

I just wish Marigolds came in blue flowers too....lol
That would be awesome!


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

Thanks for this, Jim. Heirloom Roses mentions companions for pest control on their page for companion plants with roses. It wouldn't hurt to grow a few of these.

Here is a link that might be useful: Heirloom Roses-Companions for Pest Control


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

In different conditions, but it seems like when I add a new rose to a new location (one that did not have roses before) I seem to have a horrible outbreak of rose slugs. But soon the predators seem to discover they have a new place to feast and the slugs seem to reduce or all but vanish.

Hard to be patient, but no spraying for slugs for me, on the other hand marigolds would be fun to plant too


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

Rose slugs have started getting on roses that are surrounded by Marigolds now.

So the Marigolds are NOT fully repelling the rose slugs.

Much less damage this year though...

I will try planting Marigolds next year again to see what happens.
I'll let everyone know...

This post was edited by jim1961 on Thu, Sep 4, 14 at 12:58


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

Thanks for the update -- I enjoy your experiments & the accompanying photos tremendously. My rose slugs only visit for about a month in early spring but they do a terrific amount of damage in that short time.


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

Jim, thanks for sharing your experiment.....marigolds will be added to my spring list.


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

How is your wasp supply? It's rather interesting to watch them hunt. They fly over a leaf, drop down to fly under the same leaf, then move over to the next leaf and repeat the process. Someday I may be there when they find something, but so far I've just seen them hunting. They may like the marigolds, and stick around for lunch.


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

mad_gallica,

This time of the year the wasps and yellow jackets are more plentiful than our previous months...

Actually I was very lucky to capture this picture a couple years ago mad_gallica...

 photo CIMG5281_zps4c8ee8a5.jpg

 photo CIMG5283_zpsef59b75a.jpg


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

  • Posted by hoovb z9 Southern CA (My Page) on
    Thu, Sep 4, 14 at 20:21

I had bad rose slug damage for a few years, but then the Preying Mantis moved in. Damage has been reduced, oh, about 99%. I can probably find a leaf somewhere out there with a few holes in it, but it is going to be a search.


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RE: Rose Slugs repelled?

I have not seen a praying mantis in many years hoovb. We once had them and they were plentiful at one time here...


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