Hot take: killing the aphids on my roses with neem oil was a complete flop after 2 weeks of spraying

I tried neem oil every 3 days on my rose bushes in Portland last month and ended up with scorched leaves and aphids still partying like nothing happened so now I'm just letting the ladybugs handle it has anyone else had neem oil totally backfire on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlie_allen1mo ago

Did you mix it with dish soap? I used to swear by neem until I torched my tomatoes, now I just accept the aphids.

sean_walker451mo ago

Dude @charlie_allen you're totally right, the dish soap combo is where it gets tricky. I did the same thing last season, mixed in some Dr. Bronners thinking it'd help the neem spread out, but it just made the leaves curl up and drop off like they were sunburnt. Now I keep it simple and just blast the aphids off with the garden hose every morning before work, it's way less hassle than worrying about ratios.