United Kingdom 
Hi, I was watching a very interesting program, The Queens Garden, on BBC. The gardeners there spray the roses with a mixture of garlic powder mixed with water, this really helped with keeping aphids at bay. But I was wanting to know what the ratio of powder to water would be and how often the spray mixture is used. Can anyone help with this query ?
Regards, Shirley
9 Jan, 2015
Answers
Hi Waveneygardener and welcome to GoY. Yes you can keep aphids at bay with a garlic spray. I don't think there is a specific amount of garlic you need to use. Blend your garlic cloves in water until completely liquified. Put in a spritz bottle with a little bit of (hopefully organic) washing up liquid and squirt on the plant - can be used on veg crops.
There is also a huge amount of info on dealing with aphids on this website:
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/homemade-aphid-control.htm
9 Jan, 2015
You don't need to find the powder though. There was some discussion here a while back about using cloves of garlic and I made a note of it. Apologies to whoeever suggested it for not noting who it was.
It said 2 cloves of garlic crushed in two pints of water. Boil 3 mins and strain. Make up to 2 pints again and store in a screwtop jar. Use 1 tablespoonful to a gallon. Water with a watering can late afternoon, and renew after rain or every two weeks.
Oops MG, you beat me to it.
9 Jan, 2015
It would keep me away!
I control aphids on roses by pouring weedkiller on them. Works a treat, The plants do not get aphids any more!
BIG GRIN. Only useful if you don't like roses.
10 Jan, 2015
Oops Ob......guess you're not a rose lover!
I wonder if ladybirds like garlic on their lunch?
10 Jan, 2015
There won't be any lunch for the ladybirds if you kill the aphids...
10 Jan, 2015
Just been told that crushed raw garlic is a good cold 'cure' . . . anyone fancy trying it?!
10 Jan, 2015
You can take garlic capsules but, to be honest, once you've got a cold the only thing to do is let it run (no pun intended) its natural course. Mine took about a week to shift Bulba is still coughing and snuffling after 5 days...
10 Jan, 2015
Thanks Moon grower . . I think I must have been told that taking raw garlic can PREVENT us from getting colds, because as you say there is no cure (OH and I are just about 'over' 4-week ones!).
10 Jan, 2015
Having been told that it acts as a disinfectant I took some when OH had a tummy bug in the hope I wouldn't get it. Sadly it didn't work. I got it about five days later.
10 Jan, 2015
nothing to do with gardening ,but interesting at this time of year re--garlic. I find at the very first sign of a cold, if I take 3or4 Allicin capsules ( a pure form of garlic ,doesn,t taste and doesn,t smell) I usually don,t get the cold and the odd times that I do get a cold, and I rarely do, the Allicin works better than anything else ( and no I don,t work for the suppliers, )
10 Jan, 2015
1000mg vit C does that for me.
11 Jan, 2015
I just use a lot of garlic in cooking if there are germs around or we have a bug. Not friendly but we tend to stick to ourselves when buggy!
11 Jan, 2015
I planted some garlic bulbs by my roses tree and they stayed free of aphids all summer
17 Jan, 2015
Go to www.mailorderplants4me.com
This is Bali-Hai Nursery in North Ireland, and in the lower half of the home page is a link to a blog on slug control. In the blog you will find a link to the complete recipe.
9 Jan, 2015