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kentstar_gw

Planting new roses organically question

kentstar
15 years ago

Hi all. I am very new to roses. I bought ramblin red and alba maxima roses to plant in April. I want to start them off right. I don't have any way of making compost, though. I live in a mobile home park and I think the neighbors would be upset with my smelly compost bin lol.

I have bought from Planet Natural: greensand, bonemeal, bloodmeal, rose fertilizer, and worm castings.

What is the best (without my own compost:( ) mixture of amendments to add to the hole to give them the best start? I know, have the soil tested! I don't know where to look to find testing, and I'm not sure how well the kits you buy over the counter are. I DO have a pH tester already. Top soil,sand, bonemeal, bloodmeal, fertilizer, wormcastings all together? I don't want to "over" fertilize either. NOTE: In the past fall I spread about a 3 to 4 inch layer of mushroom compost over the bed in which they will be planted.

Thankyou all for your help in this matter. Roses sure cost enough and I want them to survive lol.

kentstar

Comments (3)

  • Kimmsr
    15 years ago

    Roses grow best in a soil that has been well amended with organic matter that is evenly moist but well drained. Organic matter is compost and other vegetative waste and if you have clay that organic matter will open up the clay so water can flow easier and the plant roots can also move through the soil easier and get the nutrients the plan needs to grow easier. If you have sand that organic matter will fill in the pore spaces between the sand particles so moisture and nutrients can be held in the soil so the plant will have access to that.
    Your local office of your Ohio State University USDA Cooperative Extension Service can help you with a good, reliable soil test and in addition these simple soil tests could be of some help,
    1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

    2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

    3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

    4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell.

    5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.

    Here is a link that might be useful: OSUCES

  • kentstar
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Good advice, thankyou. I have checked with OSU CO-OP extension office online, and emailed them. They don't do soil testing anymore. So, I am considering asking my local garden center to do it, or if they don't to recommend someone who does. I haven't done the shovel/worm test before, so I will try that in spring. I do know that the soil takes FOREVER to drain away there. All last year I have been adding soil amendments to it, so I will check the drainage again in spring.

    Thankyou,
    kentstar

  • Kimmsr
    15 years ago

    Those people from OSU extension should have been able to direct you labs that do soil tests and if they did not they did not do the job you are paying them to do.