As experience shows, roses grow better in open ground. When you cover a bed with bark mulch, avoid the soil around the rose. This means you can spread fertilizer and it doesn't make hoeing and loosening the soil more difficult. However, it is better to avoid bark mulch, because roses do not tolerate bark mulch particularly well.
Why is bark mulch not suitable for roses?
Roses should not be mulched with bark mulch as they rely on good soil aeration. Instead of bark mulch, you can spread mature compost or rose soil in late autumn. This allows for better nutrient absorption and reduces susceptibility to fungal diseases.
Why roses don't tolerate bark mulch
Many hobby gardeners spread mulching material in their beds so that weeds are suppressed and they have to spend less time weeding. This effect occurs because mulch hinders the aeration (i.e. oxygen supply) of the soil. Roses, however, rely on very good soil aeration, simply because the bacteria living in the soil are aerobic. This means that they need oxygen to decompose fertilizer, humus or compost. If this is missing, the roses can no longer absorb the nutrients they need.
Fungal diseases are a result of mulching
Roses that are not sufficiently supplied with nutrients experience a weakening, they grow less, bloom less and are also more susceptible to attack by pests and / or various pathogens, especially fungi. Star sooty mold, a disease caused by a harmful fungus, particularly of rose petals, often establishes itself on roses in mulched soil.
How to mulch roses instead
However, you don't have to forego mulching entirely. Instead of bark mulch, it is better to spread ripe compost or rose soil in late autumn. It is completely sufficient to keep the mulch layer around four centimeters thick. This mulch can be easily worked under later and it also provides the rose with additional nutrients.
Keep roses he althy – activate soil life
A soil activator (€23.00 at Amazon) from specialist retailers improves the rose's metabolism. The pH value also settles at an optimal level for roses. Choose a product made from natural raw materials that contains important trace elements and micronutrients. Work the soil activator thoroughly into the soil; As a result, the soil structure is improved, as is the absorption and utilization of nutrients. Coffee grounds act as a natural (and completely free) activator - a wonderful fertilizer not only for roses!
Tip
But if you don't want to do without mulch, pine bark is the better option.
