"Susan H. Simko" said:

To be honest, I believe that replacing the soil is cheaper than trying
to amend it in many ways. I would need a rototiller (something I don't
own nor have the place to store) if I wanted to amend my soil. Breaking
up clay is no picnic!

And here you hit upon one of the simplest reasons I balk at amending clay
soil without removing a great deal of it. Small people, paper pushers,
older folks, MOST females I am *even* brazen enough to say, can be easily
discouraged if they think they have to have a man or some other heavy
earth moving equipment in order to grow roses. Even on a bad day I can dig
a 2 ft by 2 ft hole, even if I have to rest in the middle. But to break my
back forking around with clay?? Heaving it here and there, attempting to
mix stuff into it? Taking the chance it will be wet enough to dry to
cement? HELL no. Roland's Most Respected Theory will have to suck my roses
all the way to China before I will concede that this is what I have to do
to grow roses.

Another thing is ... I move my roses a lot. I need the soil to be easy to
work with.


I do know that by digging beds and replacing the soil, everything I have
put into my beds has thrived including my roses.


Yep. De proof is in de rosebed. But, I must say, if people can grow roses
in clay, well, GOOD! I'm all for more roses.