How to Kill Ivy & also white fluff on Roses

[mary]

Hi Two Questions please

1. We have just purchased a house where all the tree's are covered in Ivy particulary the Fruit Trees, I have spent days/weeks pulling cutting and sawing it off as the stems were so think like Tree trunks. I have tried two different products, which have not worked. The latter being very smelly, Cloudy white and states will kill Nettles, Ivy and Brambles.

I need to kill the ivy that is laying all over the ground and already starting to climb up the first trees again I took it off 1 month ago. I know it absorbs the product through the leaves, so have waited for the leaves to grow again, but no such luck.

2nd - There are alot of roses, particulary climbing/rambling which are like a hedge all around the perimiter of the garden. I noticed today I have some green Fly which I can kill off, but one section, all the buds are covered in, what I can only describe as white down\cotton wool and also on the stems. Is this mildew or another disease.

What do I kill first, the disease whatever it is or the green fly?

[Pommier]

I use an all-in-one treatment for roses called (I think) Maladies Rosiers. You'll see it, or similar in Point Vert or garden centres.

[Russethouse]

 Try applying the chemical to the fresh growth and then covering bits of it with plastic bags (fix with plant ties or elastic bands) perhaps you could try this one area at a time...otherwise it sounds like a big job.

 

[ventodue]

And two answers ...

1.  If you like wildlife, please don't go too hard on the ivy.  It is a  very important plant for native wildlife, providing late summer nectaring for many species of insect and later, during winter, a warm and protected over-night roosting place for small birds (wrens and tits, for example).  Without its protection, many individuals risk dying from the cold.  Its wanton destruction is one of the great mistakes made by ill-informed gardeners.  It does NOT damage healthy trees.

2.  The insect you have on the roses sounds like wooly aphid.  Plenty of info on Tinternet as to how to control it, more or less sympathetically with regard to the natural environment - your choice .

HTH

A+

Craig