I noticed the absence of aphids on my rhodie blooms this year. Usually, the buds are crawling with aphids, but this year - nothing!
I live in Longview, WA.
We had a very cold period a few weeks back after a warming period. It was cold enough to frost. I wonder if that would have killed off any potential aphid army?
CONFIRMATION!!
Thank you.
I have roses in about 6 spots, different types, and usually they ALL have some aphids. Never noticed them so much on the rhodies. But each tear I grow cabbage and they tend to love that stuff, this year they are clean also.
Hope it’s not some nasty environmental indicator.
I am in NJ and a novice gardener (I mean, novice probably gives me more credit that I deserve, I grew up in apartments my own life and now I’m trying to grow things), but I did notice the rhodie that are planted by my deck (not by me, exisitng when we moved in) look FABULOUS this year.
We had an extremely mild and dry winter, probably the easiest winter I can remember in my 54 years, could that be it?