Compost promotes overall plant health, helping roses to be more resilient to pests and diseases. Mix into the soil at planting time, or apply a 1- to 2-inch layer each spring around the base of established rose plants. Learn how to make your own compost at home.
Compost can be applied as an effective mulch for roses to help protect them from frost, retain moisture in the soil and slowly provide nutrients as the compost breaks down.
Planting your Rose
The best compost to use is a loam-based John Innes No 3 to which 10 to 20 percent multi-purpose compost, horse manure compost, or very well-rotted manure should be added for richness.
On reasonable rose ground you can get away with spreading an inch of well-rotted manure, compost or even bark over the soil in March. But with poorer or drier soil types, apply your mulch two inches deep in spring, and again in autumn.
For your mulch material we recommend using a good quality garden compost, composted straw or bark, or well rotted manure from a local farm (manure must be at least 2 years old, as fresh manure can burn the roots of your roses).
Materials such as wood chips, straw, or dry grass clippings make good mulches. More decorative materials such as shredded hardwood bark or cocoa bean hulls could also be used. Mulches should be applied about 2-3 inches deep and replaced as needed.
Secondly, do not add thorny rose stems, bulbs, any flowers that have been treated with toxic herbicides and certain poisonous plants to your compost. The overall reason is that they can slow down the decomposition process, with the thorny stems as well as bulbs, corms and tubers taking up to two years to rot.
Mulching is highly recommended for all types of roses, even if they are planted in pots. Mulch acts as an insulator, not only protecting from temperature variation but also helping to retain moisture in the soil. Therefore, your garden will require less watering and weeding.
Compost is home to millions of active microorganisms which help to continue breaking down organic matter into bio-available nutrients - food for plants! Quite simply, compost adds nitrogen to a garden. Nitrogen is what contributes to a plants healthy, green growth.
It's a rich source of seaweed, nutrients, trace elements and natural composts to revitalize soil health and promote healthy growth in all roses and flowering plants.
Watch out for particularly prolonged dry spells. Newly planted roses – water every two or three days. Established roses – water once or twice a week as needed to keep the soil moist around your roses.
In the area where the rose or roses are to be planted, mix in at least one bucket of well-rotted organic matter per square metre, forking it into the top 20-30cm (8in-1ft) of soil. Farmyard manure is ideal for this.
Chlorosis, or yellowing leaves, is common in some parts of the country. Rose leaves turn yellow because the pH of the soil is too high, or there's not enough iron in the soil. It can also be caused by a lack of oxygen when the plants are overwatered or the soil doesn't drain easily.
To reduce the chances of crop damage from a late frost or freeze, leave the mulch on as long as possible. Removing the mulch in March may encourage the plants to bloom before the danger of frost is past. Temperatures of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower may severely damage or destroy open flowers.
It's especially important to avoid using rocks as mulch around common foundation plants like azalea, hydrangea, and yews; these plants thrive in acidic soil (soil with a pH level below seven).
Cuts should be no more than 5mm (¼ in) above a bud and should slope downwards away from it, so that water does not collect on the bud. This applies to all cuts, whether removing dead wood, deadheading or annual pruning. Cut to an outward-facing bud to encourage an open-centred shape.
Start with low-growing spring bulbs such as snowdrops, crocus, grape hyacinths, scillas, anemones and narcissi. They will provide color to your rose borders at a time when your roses are not at their best.
According to a 2014 study, only 28% of Americans compost their food waste. Part of the problem is lack of access. Although most people who own homes with backyards can easily set up an outdoor composter, people who live in apartments and/or renters may not be able to do so.
Don't put diseased plants, pet droppings (apart from chook manure), cooking fat, glossy paper, weeds with seeds, treated timber and large branches in your compost bin. Some gardeners say you should avoid adding meat and bones unless you have a larger compost system.
Soap Spray – Mix ½ teaspoon mild dish soap and 1 teaspoon cooking oil in a 1-quart sprayer filled with water. Spray liberally over the entire plant. Ladybugs – To keep aphids in check, release ladybugs on the affected plant. They will stay as long as there is shelter and host bugs to feed on.
While the most highly bred bush roses benefit from deep, rich soil, there are plenty of tough customers out there too. The roses we've picked will cope with a wide range of growing conditions from dense, heavy clay to free-draining sandy soil, as well as thin chalk.
In your rose garden design, give each rose a space as wide as the plant's mature height. For example, if a rose tag says the plant will reach four to five feet, give it 2 to 2.5 feet clearance on all sides. You'll also appreciate this liberal spacing when you need to prune your roses.
Epsom Salt for Roses
The recommendation for applying Epsom salt to existing rose bushes is to either mix 1/2 cup of Epsom salts into the soil around the rose bush and water well or dissolve 1/2 cup of the salts in water and use the solution to water the soil around the rose bush.