Hey everyone! I'm new to gardening and I've been hearing a lot about mulching, especially for winter. I'm a bit confused though—can I actually make my own mulch? Can I use things like food scraps or garden waste? What exactly is mulch? I want to make sure I take good care of my beautiful rose! Thanks!
3 Answers
Mulch is basically any well-composted material, like garden compost, composted bark, or even well-rotted manure. It’s great for suffocating weeds, keeping moisture in the soil, and providing nutrients to worms and microbes that help feed your rose. Lots of benefits!
You can use compost from garden centers to smother weeds? Wouldn't that just encourage more weeds in all that nice soft soil?
I think you've got some great options here! I usually buy well-rotted farmyard manure from the garden center and mulch my roses twice a year, in March and autumn. I’d recommend buying some now, watering your rose well, then mulching it! Roses need a lot of nutrients, so they thrive on it! I also use liquid fertilizer every few weeks. Treat yours well and it’ll reward you with beautiful blooms!
Thank you! That’s really helpful. I’ve ordered some liquid feed but I’ll also try more organic nutrient options too. 😊
In the winter, I usually just use fallen leaves. They’re free and do a good job, but keep in mind that some creatures love to hang out in them! Just clear them out in spring and toss them on the compost heap for more free compost!
Brilliant, thank you so much! 😊