How to Prepare Rose Beds For Roses

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Preparing rose beds for roses will require knowledge of the soil contents and understanding what enables roses to do well. You should select a sunny location, while also enriching the soil to really give your roses a great head start. Careful planning and consideration of optimum planning conditions will ensure peace of mind for the gardener knowing that this extra work will deliver the production of wonderful, blossoming rose bushes. Protected roses, that are cared for well, will grow into healthy, strong plants providing excellent bouquets year after year.

Existing Soil Conditions

The first order of business is to figure out what kind of soil the roses are being planted in. Is it soil consisting mostly of clay, is it sandy or loamy or does the soil contain mostly rocks? Knowing the content and chemical makeup of the soil enables gardeners to figure out what additional requirements may be needed for healthy, blossoming rose bushes. Does the soil hold water, or does it drain well? If the soil drains well, it will be necessary to consider less watering requirements. If the soil for the rose bed holds water, accommodations will have to be made to provide for adequate drainage as roses do not like their roots wet. Excessive moisture will cause mold and mildew on rose plants. Also, pay careful attention to what the soil already contains. A good rule of thumb is to provide added nutrients such as manure and compost to the bedding soil before planting roses.

Enhancing Soil for Roses

Determine the pH factor of the soil in which you plant your roses. A pH of approximately 6.5 will ensure that roses will do well. An excellent method for determining your soil content is to send a sample of it to a lab for diagnosis. While waiting for the results work the soil to aerate it and add any organic matter on hand to add nutrients to the soil. Composted materials, manure, grass clippings, and tree trimmings work very well for this purpose. One of the best methods of preparing the soil for your rose bed is through the use of a roto-tiller. This will mix the nutrients as well as aerate the soil. Consider adding fertilizer and other amendments such as Magnesium Sulphate, fish emulsion or cow manure. All of these will provide excellent bedding material for your rose plantings. Apply a bed of mulch around your plants to conserve water and control weeds.

Tried and Proven Method

Most garden centers will tell you that the perfect soil for planting roses is approximately 50% organic matter added to whatever is in your soil, to begin with, even if it is clay, rocks or gravelly soil. What to do if your garden resembles the dust storms of Oklahoma? A most tried and proven method for preparing rose beds is to dig a hole twice as wide and twice deep as the pot in which your rose came in, fill it halfway with good potting soil, and plant your rose. Fill in the area around the plant with the remaining soil.