Roses and tomatoes

That is great info - thanks!

I have quite the problem with bugs in my rural setting.  Spiders of all kinds, bugs that give my tomato plants heck, crickets, june bugs, you name it.  I have been using insecticidal soap on my tomato plants and roses, but it does not last.  It is good to know that I can use something natural for all the rose loving aphids.

Roses are like second children with all the care they need.  Besides aphids and mites, ya got powdery mildew, black spot, cane borers, grasshoppers, leaf hoppers, and on and on.  One time, in true obsesssive compulsive form, I had 63 rose bushes at a previous location.  It was a never ending struggle to keep up with all of them!  But my were they pretty, and in many instances fragrant too.

Currently I only have two plants to worry about, but both of them are large ones.  I only had a couple of tomato plants this past year too, but may add more next year.  This year I was experimenting with making my own upside down hanging tomato plant containers.  I used Wallymart mesh bags, cut a hole in the bottom, got some plastic (I know - ugh) paper plate holders and cut out the centers and some rope to hold the bags up and reinforce them underneath, and all seemed to work well.  I got started too late and we had a very, very hot summer but I think next year with an early start they will work out quite well.  The bags appear to last just long enough for a full growing season before unravelling.  Running the rope underneath the bags in a couple of places helps prevent disaster.