Mulching roses should be done in autumn and is similar to having a blanket on your bed during coder months which keeps the plant warm and happy
Fertilising roses in autumn can create new growth, but gardeners will discover they will die from frost and make the plant more vulnerable.
For gardeners in-the-know ‘mulching’ roses, protects the thorny blooms during colder months. This is done by spreading a layer of organic material around them, which gardening experts say, helps them to thrive. The Express reports it is similar to having a blanket on your bed during winter and keeps the plant warm and happy. It is layer of insulation for our thorny friends which bring so much colour and scent when they start to grow again. Garden expert Carolyn Parker of Rose Notes said: “Roses and most all garden plants are much happier with mulch…mulchless soil is like no blankets on a cold night, and weeds take over in no time at all without mulch”
In autumn, roses start to go dormant to help prepare for winter and mulching helps the plant reserve energy so that flowers are healthier, stronger and bigger once spring arrives. It insulates the plant to protect roses from frost and like fertilisation and will add nutrients to the soil which roses need when they begin growing again.
The other advantage it has is to suffocate weeds. It also retains moisture in the soil so gardeners do not have to worry about weeding or watering roses once temperatures begin to drop. Mulching is straightforward and simply involves choosing mulching material and spreading a layer around the base of a rose bush.
Manure, compost, straw or bark chips can be used but Carolyn has a simple mulch recipe. She said: “My mulch of choice has always been shredded redwood bark. Wood chips, leaves, grape seed, small stones, hay, pinestraw (needles), cocoa hulls are also good mulches.
“All but the stones break down into lovely humus. I’m always stunned at how quick the break-down is. The earth is like a giant mouth and the soil is so much better for it.” Autumn leaves can is also a great mulch for roses and it is highly recommended to pick up any fallen leaves you find in your garden now and store them away to use them as mulch throughout the colder months.
Autumn leaves also work “very well” at blocking weeds from growing so it will be one less job to worry about once spring arrives. Make sure that you avoid using leaves which have black spots or mould growing on them as they could spread fungal diseases to roses which are often very common in autumn. Using mulch will help you recycle natural materials to improve roses’ growing conditions so they will be thriving and ready to blossom once the growing season starts again in 2025.