With 40+ roses in my yard it takes a lot of work to keep them looking their best. It's aggravating to put your best into your garden and have bugs undo your work. Aphids, asian ladybugs, thrips and spider mites were terrorizing my plants. I declared all out war!

My Weapon
With so many products out there, I decided on one that had a name I recognized...Ortho RosePride Orthenex Insect & Disease Control. I, originally, went searching for a pesticide, but was happy to see this combination pesticide and disease control product. In the midst of the rain and humidity of late spring, some of my roses were suffering from black spot. *Black spot is a fungus disease where black spots form on leaves until the leave drops and turns the rose bush into bare branches. It weakens the overall health of the plant*

I suited up for war by putting on garden gloves that were water resistant (so the spray wouldn't get on my skin), a long sleeved shirt and pants. Finally, I donned a mask that covered my nose and mouth so I wouldn't inhale any fumes/spray. Was all of this necessary? Oh yeah.

Ortho RosePride Orthenex Insect & Disease Control comes in a 14 oz. aerosol can. If there is even a slight breeze the spray will drift. You are not supposed to hold the spray too close to the plants as it can burn the foliage...but, if you hold it too far away the wind will carry the spray everywhere except on the plant. I chose close, the bugs were already damaging the plant, I took my chances with the burning. I sprayed the plants, making sure I did the underside of the leaves, as well, since that is where many pests reside.

The very next morning when I checked my roses I noticed a reduction in bugs. To my dismay, I noticed many "good" bugs dead. Praying mantis, butterflies, bees and ladybugs (not the asian variety) were laying dead on the ground. What had I done? In my single-mindedness of getting rid of the pests, I hadn't thought what the spray would do to other varieties of insects. I will say there was a noticeable, if not complete, lack of pests, also.

It had taken three cans of Ortho RosePride Orthenex Insect & Disease Control to cover my roses thoroughly. At $7.79 a can and needing to be used every 7-10 days this wasn't a feasible option for me. Not only did I not want to spend $24 every week of spring, summer and fall...I didn't want to destroy all the friendly bugs in my yard. Since, I didn't use this product again, I can't comment on the effects it would have had on the blackspot my roses were suffering from.

Not For Me
Ortho RosePride Orthenex Insect & Disease Control is not suitable for my purposes. It works on pests almost immediately, but in my opinion, is geared for someone who has few rose plants and doesn't harvest seeds from their bushes. I not only like praying mantis, bees and butterflies in my yard, I need them for fighting the bad bugs and pollination. The price for the amount of product you get, also, points toward someone with fewer plants to tend to. I'll give it 3 stars for doing it's job, but not realistic for my job.

How to Use:
Spraying too close to foliage may damage tender foliage. Hold can upright, 18 inches from plants. Apply a light spray, covering upper and lower leaf surfaces. Protect plastic, enameled, varnished and painted surfaces from spray.

When to Apply:
Spray weekly, starting before disease appears or at the first signs of pest. Repeat at 7-to-10 day intervals. Spray in the morning, not in the heat of midday.

Where to Use:
Roses, flowers and ornamentals.

Where Not to Use:
Not for use on houseplants located inside the home. Do not apply to wilted plants.

What It Controls:
Aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, budworms, mites, leafminers, thrips, scales and other listed pests. Also protects roses against black spot, rust and powdery mildew diseases.

Active Ingredients:
0.10% Triforine, 0.10% Resmethrin, 0.25% Acephate



Recommended: No