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Old 06-02-2009, 02:53 PM posted to rec.gardens.roses
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Default Best Mulch for roses?

What would be the best mulch to keep down weeds/grass around rose bushes,
i.e. wood-chips, pebbles, etc.
without any detriment to the rose bushes.


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Old 07-02-2009, 02:50 AM posted to rec.gardens.roses
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Default Best Mulch for roses?

I'd steer away from wood-chips - they rob Nitrogen. Which might not be all that
bad if you use that in the lawn.

I'd use lawn cloth. The black mesh to keep weeds down in gardens.
Over it you could put something to hold it down and decorate.

Rocks might be to hard on the roots...

Others ?

Noddy wrote:
What would be the best mulch to keep down weeds/grass around rose bushes,
i.e. wood-chips, pebbles, etc.
without any detriment to the rose bushes.


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Old 07-02-2009, 03:51 PM posted to rec.gardens.roses
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Default Best Mulch for roses?

I've read, and personally think, organic compost is best. It has the best
insulating effect, highest water retaining capacity (I water about 33% less
now) and provides slow release nitrogen and other valuable sub-straights.
I use a combination of well aged horse manure mixed with leaves, grass, and
other good stuff, mixed with a bit of 19-19-19 to off-set the higher carbon
content due to wood chips in the horse manure as well as the leaves. I mix
it together in the fall and by the time the ground in the back it dried out
enough the take the tractor back there, you've have some really nice stuff.
A 2 to 4 inch application, topped off with a anti-emergent, and you're
dancing. What few weeds that do show-up are easily removed.

I have a horse farm down the road, but I know a lot of municipalities have
compost piles as well. It might be worth calling around. The only down
side I can see is you have to reapply ever so often. Perhaps once a year
for the first few years, then less often as the lay builds. But really,
isn't that part of the fun of growing roses?

Regards

Jeff, Southeast Michigan, Zone 5







"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...
I'd steer away from wood-chips - they rob Nitrogen. Which might not be
all that bad if you use that in the lawn.

I'd use lawn cloth. The black mesh to keep weeds down in gardens.
Over it you could put something to hold it down and decorate.

Rocks might be to hard on the roots...

Others ?

Noddy wrote:
What would be the best mulch to keep down weeds/grass around rose bushes,
i.e. wood-chips, pebbles, etc.
without any detriment to the rose bushes.


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Old 07-02-2009, 05:48 PM posted to rec.gardens.roses
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Posts: 8
Default Best Mulch for roses?

Does the horse manure smell (even when aged), as I would want to put it
around the outside of my deck, which is surrounded by rose-bushes? I
wouldn't want eau de horse instead of eau de rose g How about cow or sheep
manure, which I can buy rather than shovel? And would such compost encourage
small animal activity there?
Many thanks for the replies....Noddy.


"Jeffrey L. Kline" wrote in message
...
I've read, and personally think, organic compost is best. It has the best
insulating effect, highest water retaining capacity (I water about 33%

less
now) and provides slow release nitrogen and other valuable sub-straights.
I use a combination of well aged horse manure mixed with leaves, grass,

and
other good stuff, mixed with a bit of 19-19-19 to off-set the higher

carbon
content due to wood chips in the horse manure as well as the leaves. I

mix
it together in the fall and by the time the ground in the back it dried

out
enough the take the tractor back there, you've have some really nice

stuff.
A 2 to 4 inch application, topped off with a anti-emergent, and you're
dancing. What few weeds that do show-up are easily removed.

I have a horse farm down the road, but I know a lot of municipalities have
compost piles as well. It might be worth calling around. The only down
side I can see is you have to reapply ever so often. Perhaps once a year
for the first few years, then less often as the lay builds. But really,
isn't that part of the fun of growing roses?

Regards

Jeff, Southeast Michigan, Zone 5







"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...
I'd steer away from wood-chips - they rob Nitrogen. Which might not be
all that bad if you use that in the lawn.

I'd use lawn cloth. The black mesh to keep weeds down in gardens.
Over it you could put something to hold it down and decorate.

Rocks might be to hard on the roots...

Others ?

Noddy wrote:
What would be the best mulch to keep down weeds/grass around rose

bushes,
i.e. wood-chips, pebbles, etc.
without any detriment to the rose bushes.




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Old 07-02-2009, 09:57 PM posted to rec.gardens.roses
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Sep 2006
Posts: 99
Default Best Mulch for roses?

Nope. If the compost has any smell, it is of the earth. Horse and sheep
are about the same as far as nutrients. Don't know much about sheep manure
smell. (We don't have many around here). Cow is a bit lower in N2, but its
still good stuff. If your bed is small, you can buy deodorized manure by
the bag at the local nursery. Here's a link that will no doubt tell you more
than you ever wanted to know. http://www.plantea.com/manure.htm No
problems with mice, as there in nothing in the compost that they can eat.

Regards

Jeff, Southeast Michigan, zone 5


"Noddy" wrote in message
news:cXijl.10388$Db2.8328@edtnps83...
Does the horse manure smell (even when aged), as I would want to put it
around the outside of my deck, which is surrounded by rose-bushes? I
wouldn't want eau de horse instead of eau de rose g How about cow or
sheep
manure, which I can buy rather than shovel? And would such compost
encourage
small animal activity there?
Many thanks for the replies....Noddy.


"Jeffrey L. Kline" wrote in message
...
I've read, and personally think, organic compost is best. It has the
best
insulating effect, highest water retaining capacity (I water about 33%

less
now) and provides slow release nitrogen and other valuable sub-straights.
I use a combination of well aged horse manure mixed with leaves, grass,

and
other good stuff, mixed with a bit of 19-19-19 to off-set the higher

carbon
content due to wood chips in the horse manure as well as the leaves. I

mix
it together in the fall and by the time the ground in the back it dried

out
enough the take the tractor back there, you've have some really nice

stuff.
A 2 to 4 inch application, topped off with a anti-emergent, and you're
dancing. What few weeds that do show-up are easily removed.

I have a horse farm down the road, but I know a lot of municipalities
have
compost piles as well. It might be worth calling around. The only down
side I can see is you have to reapply ever so often. Perhaps once a year
for the first few years, then less often as the lay builds. But really,
isn't that part of the fun of growing roses?

Regards

Jeff, Southeast Michigan, Zone 5







"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...
I'd steer away from wood-chips - they rob Nitrogen. Which might not be
all that bad if you use that in the lawn.

I'd use lawn cloth. The black mesh to keep weeds down in gardens.
Over it you could put something to hold it down and decorate.

Rocks might be to hard on the roots...

Others ?

Noddy wrote:
What would be the best mulch to keep down weeds/grass around rose

bushes,
i.e. wood-chips, pebbles, etc.
without any detriment to the rose bushes.








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Old 10-02-2009, 09:51 AM posted to rec.gardens.roses
YMC YMC is offline
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Posts: 96
Default Best Mulch for roses?

"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...
I'd steer away from wood-chips - they rob Nitrogen. Which might not be
all that bad if you use that in the lawn.


I have to resort to wood chips because that's the only affordable mulch I
can afford here in Melbourne Australia. It gets very hot here in Summer - as
you may be aware from the news reports. We are also under water restrictions
thanks to the Govt here not deciding to build extra water dams and the
terrible drought.

I place a layer of old newspaper under the mulch and they all keep the
moisture inside.

But to ameliorate the effects of the nitorogen robbing wood chips - can I
put extra blood and bone to counter the effect??


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Old 11-02-2009, 01:18 AM posted to rec.gardens.roses
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Default Best Mulch for roses?

I suspect so - not a chemist here.

And we use wood chips to cover bare ground so as not to walk on mud
or dust.

Texas gets hot also.

The 1-2" thickness of wood chips - chipped by myself - seems to
hold moisture by themselves and allow grass and weed to start.
They take hold or the mud does so we can run the tractor mower over
them without pulling them up. There are a few thin spots now and
the whole area needs more. But it seems like the tale of robbing
might be a bit over stated. stuff that comes up is green not yellow.

So give it a try but keep watch and add as needed.

And good luck down under with the massive fires.

Martin

YMC wrote:
"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...
I'd steer away from wood-chips - they rob Nitrogen. Which might not be
all that bad if you use that in the lawn.


I have to resort to wood chips because that's the only affordable mulch I
can afford here in Melbourne Australia. It gets very hot here in Summer - as
you may be aware from the news reports. We are also under water restrictions
thanks to the Govt here not deciding to build extra water dams and the
terrible drought.

I place a layer of old newspaper under the mulch and they all keep the
moisture inside.

But to ameliorate the effects of the nitorogen robbing wood chips - can I
put extra blood and bone to counter the effect??


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Old 11-02-2009, 03:45 PM posted to rec.gardens.roses
YMC YMC is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Oct 2007
Posts: 96
Default Best Mulch for roses?

"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote in message
...
The 1-2" thickness of wood chips - chipped by myself - seems to
hold moisture by themselves and allow grass and weed to start.
They take hold or the mud does so we can run the tractor mower over
them without pulling them up. There are a few thin spots now and
the whole area needs more. But it seems like the tale of robbing
might be a bit over stated. stuff that comes up is green not yellow.

So give it a try but keep watch and add as needed.

And good luck down under with the massive fires.


Oh, I am. I am using a combination of mulch and a bottom layer of soaked old
newspaper for my rose beds.

So far so good. The roses are holding up reasonably well despite the lack of
water and the extreme heat conditions - one week of 40C... thats about
110F??

The newspaper is the thing that prevents the grass from coming up. Acts as a
mat. Its free too!

The only worry is that if there is a fire - having a mulch bed is a terrible
fire hazard. I just read about how mulched gardens guaranteed the
destruction of homes in the Canberra fire a few years back...

More concerned with some jackass flicking his cig butt into my garden and
causing a fire - while I am out.





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Old 01-07-2011, 08:16 PM
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I acquire a horse acreage down the road, but I apperceive a lot of municipalities have compost accoutrements as well. It adeptness be annual calling around. The abandoned down side I can see is you acquire to reapply anytime so often. Perhaps already a year for the ancient few years, afresh below about as the lay builds.
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