Is Composted Manure Good for Roses?
Is Composted Manure Good for Roses?. Growing a beautiful rose garden is a worthy, but challenging, goal that many gardeners seek to undertake. Key to successful rose gardening is excellent soil structure and nutrition. Composted manure can be an important part of improving the structure and nutrition of rose garden soils.
Growing a beautiful rose garden is a worthy, but challenging, goal that many gardeners seek to undertake. Key to successful rose gardening is excellent soil structure and nutrition. Composted manure can be an important part of improving the structure and nutrition of rose garden soils.
Benefits
Composted manure is rich in garden nutrients. It releases nitrogen into the soil gently and slowly to promote healthy, leafy growth. It also lightens heavy soils, improving drainage. In sandy soils, manure provides needed organic matter and improves water retention.
Characteristics
Composted, or well-rotted, manure is black and crumbly and falls easily through the fingers. It smells fresh and earthy, not like smelly manure.
Finding Manure
The best manure comes from cattle and horse farms, where farmers are often eager to allow gardeners to remove some of the abundant waste. Well-rotted manure is usually found at the bottom of the manure pile, below the smelly brown, fresh manure.
Uses
Composted manure can be added when roses are planted. In very heavy or very sandy soils, one-third added manure will improve soil structure and add nutrition. It can also be added as a top dressing to soils in spring for use as a mulch and natural fertilizer.
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