Basics of Planting Roses

Roses are often considered the grandest bloom in the garden’s panoply of flowers. A full-blown rose is a universe of beauty within itself, exquisite, delicate, and so very fragrant. Unfortunately, roses also have a reputation for being temperamental, fragile, and easy to kill. That reputation is unfair! Even beginning gardeners will have wonderful success with growing roses if they adhere to some basic planting techniques. Be sure to also see our guide on Pruning Roses and Flowering Bushes for help in caring for your bushes.

The first step is to till your flower bed to a depth of at least 18 inches, and 24 inches wide. If you use a motorized rotary tiller, and the blades do not reach down that deep, remove eight to twelve inches of soil with a shovel, and then till the soil beneath. If doing the job by hand, dig out the bed to the desired depth, and then back fill it half-way with dirt that has been turned, separated, and loosened. This deep-till method loosens soil to a greater depth, allowing for the rapid growth of rose roots, which is the first step to magnificent blooms. It also opens passages for oxygen and water to get to the roots, which will contribute to radiant, colorful flowers.

On top of the layer of soil that half-fills the trench, add a layer of barnyard manure or rich compost. For developing your own compost, see our Guide “Understanding the Basics of Composting.” Then add soil until the trench is filled.

The next step is to prepare a hole in which to place your rose plant. As with most shrubs and trees, dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball. As for depth, it should be one inch deeper than the height of the root ball. The purpose is to give the roots rooms to spread out laterally without planting the ball so deep the stalks, or canes, of the rose plants might be put in jeopardy of rotting in wet soil.

Now, remove the rose plant from any container or cloth that surrounds it. Gently loosen the roots, being careful not to pull hard on them. Damaging roots at this stage will stunt growth and blossom production. Soak the root ball in a pail of water for 15-30 minutes to allow it to absorb a healthy drink before entering the ground.

Place the plant in the hole and hold it steady with one hand. With the other hand, backfill the hole gently, using your other hand or a hand trowel. Gently pack soil around the roots. Never compress it by stepping on it. Soak the planted rose bush with water, and then fill in any gaps in the soil created by settling. The best time to plant roses is between October and April when the ground is not frozen. Potted roses purchased from a nursery may be planted into May, but require more watering and oversight to make sure they are thriving and not drying out. Growing beautiful roses is not beyond the reach of any gardener. Careful attention to these basic principles will get your newly planted roses off to a great start!

Understanding the Basics of Composting

Adding compost to flower and vegetable gardens has been growing in popularity as more gardeners choose natural techniques in their efforts to cultivate a healthier, more productive garden while being environmentally responsible. Making compost out of organic matter is an ancient practice, but with the rise of chemical fertilizers several decades ago, the practice declined. Now, decades later, the benefits of composting are being rediscovered.

Briefly put, composting is the process through which organic matter is returned to a soil-like state through decomposition. The process is aided by insects, earthworms, fungi, bacteria, and other beneficial microorganisms. Compost is rich in nutrients, improves soil structure, aeration, the healthy pH balance of the soil, water retention, and soil fertility. It contributes to healthy root development in plants, and provides essential nutritional value for flower and fruit production.

If you have made the decision to start composting, these basic steps will put you well on your way to a healthier garden and a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

First of all, choose the spot to have your composting pile. Employing an unused corner of the yard is popular, out of direct sunlight, and perhaps kept from view by a large bush or section of decorative fencing. Many gardeners build a 2’x4’ or 4’x4’ composting pen to keep it tidy, but that’s not essential.

Secondly, combine the right materials for compost. A good mix includes about 10 to 20 parts brown plant material such as dead leaves, which is high in carbon, and one part green material, like grass clippings and garden prunings, which is high in nitrogen. Other high carbon “browns” include straw, shredded twigs, pine needles, shredded newspaper, dead plants that do not show disease, and sawdust from untreated wood. Other nitrogen-rich “greens” include green weeds, alfalfa, clover, manure, and vegetable scraps from the kitchen.

The third step is to keep the composting material moist, but not soggy. A good time to begin the pile is when you rake leaves in the spring or fall. Mix in the first/last grass clippings of the year, saturate the pile thoroughly, turning the material several times and adding more water. After that, do not water unless insufficient rain occurs. If it’s a particularly raining spring, covering the pile during rains might be needed.

Fourthly, decomposition requires air, so turn the pile once a month or so, perhaps when you add more grass clippings. Stirring it up gets oxygen into the center of the pile where it will aid the processes that are creating compost. The compost is ready to use when it is dark in color and crumbles easily, and when none of the original materials are identifiable. A good test is to seal a small amount of it in a bag for 24 hours. If the compost smells earthy but not unpleasant, it is good to go!

Many gardeners are using compost bins, a fantastic way to produce usable compost quickly. They come in several styles that allow you to add material and water and easily turn the bin for proper mixing and aeration. New composters and veterans alike will want to consider these handy, effective units that produce high quality compost. Whether you use a simple pile, build a pen, or purchase a composting bin, your plants will benefit immensely from this organic, nutrient-rich plant food.

Composting bins:

Mantis 4000-00-02 ComposT-Twin Composting Bin

Scotts 100164 Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Compost Bin

Bosmere K767 Garden Compost Bin 11-Cubic Foot Capacity

Achla CMP-05 Spinning Horizontal Composter

Composting Bin: Extendable

Garden Composter

Earthmaker Aerobic Composter, 120 Gallon

Preparing Organic Compost by Yourself

If you really want to do a favor to the environment through your garden then organic composting might just be the right option for you to consider. You are cutting down the amount of waste that would go at a landfill or just dump by putting it into a compost pile in your front or backyard. This can be said as a process that has been followed by the people for utilizing waste materials for a good cause for quite a while now. Your garden soil will also be benefitted if you add organic compost in it because plants require sufficient amount of essential nutrients for the proper growth and with organic compost added to you garden soil, you would make sure that you are providing sufficient amount of nutrients to your garden plants for the proper and healthy growth. You can prepare compost on your own with waste found around your yard, homes, kitchens, etc. Let me tell you, how can prepare organic compost by yourself.

You know the places where to get the waste from, compost is simply a mixture or combination of different waste products. Choose a specific area as a storage place for all the compost you gather up. A compost tumbler can be bought from the market or with the help of wooden pallets you can make a bin of your own. Blood meal, alfalfa meal, and aged manure would be the most appropriate waste materials to add in your compost pile because all these things are high on nitrogen. Apart from these, leaves, grass clippings, coffee grounds, shredded newspaper, and vegetables would be some other good organic items to add in your compost pile.

There should be many things available when the process of compost pile making is underway. Grass might start smelling bad so make sure to put the green grass clippings together with brown material. Animal products like their food or waste and fats needs to be avoided since pests get attracted this way which can promote disease contamination in the compost pile. Plants that have been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides should be avoided as well. Lastly, your wooden pallet bin or the compost tumbler should be placed somewhere exposed to the sunlight in order for the decomposing process to be good and effective, even in the times of winters as well.

It would ask for a few months before the pile gets ready, so once your compost is prepared, give your plant soil or garden some good nutritious enrichment spreading the compost all over your garden soil.

Above mentioned were some simple steps for preparing organic compost by yourself.

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The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing … most flavorful, nutritous vegetables ever.

Maintaining Compost In Your Backyard

Many people who have a garden will usually have a large amount of organic waste in the backyard.  This could be anything from dead plants to grass clippings.  Unfortunately, many people waste money by hauling them off to the landfill.  All these organic waste that’s being hauled off are good compost that can be used for the garden.

If you have a lot of organic waste laying around and have a garden, these waste can be the perfect fertilizer for your plants.  As a matter of fact, these organic waste are what you buy at the garden center too. The only difference is that the organic waste has been decomposing and  turn into top grade fertilizer.  If you have a large garden, making your own compost can be cost saving.

Most people tend not to save any of the organic waste around the house because of the smell and disturbing images to ones mind.  However, if you maintain it correctly, you should be able to product great compost without producing any offensive odor.

You will want to choose a place where the waste is out of sight.  This can be behind the shrubs or a shed.  Avoid having a really deep pile of compost since the deeper sections of the compost won’t be exposed to anything that is requires for the process to work.  Instead, spread the organic waste over a large area. If you have limited space, you can spread them in different part of the yard.

Once you have a pile of organic waste, you should moisten the whole pile.  This will encourage the process of composting.  Be sure to chop every element in the pile into small pieces as much as possible.  Every week or so, you will want to aerate the pile.  You can use a shovel to mix the pile together or use an aeration tool.  Doing this will increase the oxygen flow to each part of the pile.

In a few months, you should have top grade fertilizer for your garden.  You can use them throughout the year as long as you’re growing something in the garden.  making your own compost will take some work, but the end result will be worth it.