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Advisability of composting thorny rose canes
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Posted by hilomark z5 NY (My Page) on Wed, Aug 24, 05 at 10:24
| Hi all,
I searched, but didn't find a post on this subject here, so here goes...
I sometimes toss pieces of rose canes in my compost pile, but usually bundle them off to the town composting site to be shredded for mulch.
If you compost rose canes at home, what is your experience with the thorns? I have some very thorny rugosa roses, and I really don't want to make compost that "attacks" me with every handful I pick up?
Do you compost your rose canes?
Lois |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Advisability of composting thorny rose canes
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| Personally, I wouldn’t use thorny materials in the compost pile to lessen the chance of getting pricked, and have not done so. But if the compost is well aged, all organic matters would crumble into fine, small granular so that you may not even see shape of thorns afterward. It may be easier to chop the canes to less than a foot long or so for easy mixing with other green materials, and wear thick gloves. |
RE: Advisability of composting thorny rose canes
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| Don't compost any rose canes at all. Some fungi, notably botrytis, have spore pods (sclerotia) that can survive any and all composting processes. |
RE: Advisability of composting thorny rose canes
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| I have been composting the canes from my roses for years with no problems that I'm aware of. I've not been stabbed by a rose thorn yet and I handle my compost with my bare hands frequently. |
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