mushroom compost on roses?
Neil Wanstall
the climbing roses Have I done the right thing?
K Muirhead
camellias (they hate it). Actually my favourite is cow manure and
sawdust - makes HUGE roses, but I can't seem to get it now I have
moved to Christchurch. Still trying out alternatives.
Kate
Cliff Spitser
Noeline McCaughan
: I hope so - I use it here in NZ - just don't try it on Rhodos or
: camellias (they hate it). Actually my favourite is cow manure and
: sawdust - makes HUGE roses, but I can't seem to get it now I have
: moved to Christchurch. Still trying out alternatives.
Would a trailer load constitute payment for Bed and Breakfast sometime? :-)
Noeline.
Noeline McCaughan
: Its Autumn in Australia and Ive just put a pile of mushroom compost on
: the climbing roses Have I done the right thing?
The roses will do fine, I put about a cubic metre on my roses early last
spring. (there's an aweful lot in a cubic metre :-/ ) I shoveled it on about
three inches thick, I had also dressed the soil around the plants with blood
and bone and they really responded. Lady Hillingden has increased in size
remarkably and Picture, normally a fragile little bush , put out new basal
shoots and flowered beautifully.
The only thing to be aware of is that mushroom compost tends to be very
alkaline to watch out that you don't kill off anything nearby such as
camellias, rhododendrons or any of the ericaceus shrubs.
Noeline.
K Muirhead
service club who did a fertilizer drive to raise money for charity,
but they don't seem to do that here. I guess I could try to find a
farmer, but it was a lot easier getting it delivered!
Cliff Spitser <cspi...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>Are you saying they don't have cows in christchurch?
>K Muirhead wrote:
>> I hope so - I use it here in NZ - just don't try it on Rhodos or
>> camellias (they hate it). Actually my favourite is cow manure and
>> sawdust - makes HUGE roses, but I can't seem to get it now I have
>> moved to Christchurch. Still trying out alternatives.
>>
>> Kate
K Muirhead
noe...@styx.southern.co.nz (Noeline McCaughan) wrote:
>K Muirhead (muir...@voyager.co.nz) wrote:
>: I hope so - I use it here in NZ - just don't try it on Rhodos or
>: camellias (they hate it). Actually my favourite is cow manure and
>: sawdust - makes HUGE roses, but I can't seem to get it now I have
>: moved to Christchurch. Still trying out alternatives.
>Would a trailer load constitute payment for Bed and Breakfast sometime? :-)
>Noeline.
Prodigion
>
> K Muirhead (muir...@voyager.co.nz) wrote:
> : I hope so - I use it here in NZ - just don't try it on Rhodos or
> : camellias (they hate it).
And for good reason. Mushrooms prefer a slighly alkaline environment (ph
7.4 - 7.6) which Rhododendrons and Camellias detest. Roses aren't too
fond of that pH range either, but less sensitive than rhodos.
Lesson: when using M.C. on roses, it's worthwhile to adjust the pH with
a bit of peat or redwood.
-Dave-
The Blue Rose
Given the performance of my roses this year I would have to agree with
this. Had used MC as a mulch on the roses for a couple of years but
this year got a big load of Cowmanure+Sawdust and put it on about 3"
thick and the performance has been wonderful. Huge basal canes and
lots of em!
Stacey
-- Stacey Hill (note 2 spambusters in my address if replying by e-mail)
"A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument"
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/9544/index.html
Martin Double
>>> >Its Autumn in Australia and Ive just put a pile of mushroom compost on
>>> >the climbing roses Have I done the right thing?
>
>No probably not, unless your soil is very acid, because mushroom compost
has added chalk thus making it alkali which modern roses do not like. Old
roses
do not mind so much.
mar...@mgdouble.freeserve.co.uk
>
>
>
Noeline McCaughan
: >>> >Its Autumn in Australia and Ive just put a pile of mushroom compost on
: >>> >the climbing roses Have I done the right thing?
: >
: >No probably not, unless your soil is very acid, because mushroom compost
: has added chalk thus making it alkali which modern roses do not like. Old
: roses
: do not mind so much.
Don't worry about it, all you need to do is purchase some powdered sulphur from
your garden shop and broadcast it by hand over the composted area. About 1/2 a
handful to every square metre will do, rake it in lightly and water the beds.
That should address any problem of alkalinity.
Noeline.