Message Boards

Hello, Currently I have a row of 15 Knockout Roses along our front yard fence. I planted the roses but unfortunately I have grass growing around each rose bush. Should I put down some cloth or even newspaper and put mulch on the top? I appreciate your help ! Murph

If you pull out as much grass as possible first, then lay newspapers (wet as you go so they don't blow) and cover with mulch...that should keep it down if not eliminate the grass. It will depend on the kind of grass you have in there.
Like I have common bermuda...nothing stops that stuff!
Do your papers at least 6 sheets thick & make sure ALL the paper is covered w/mulch so it doesn't dry out. Wet it down again after the mulch is all laid and that helps settle everything in good.

Please don't use fabric/cloth weed blocker. That stuff can get really nasty. If a weed seed gets on top & sprouts, the roots go under it & when you try to pull the whole fabric wants to come up with the weed. Plus when it rots....it's a royal pain to get it out in little bitty pieces.
Weed block fabric doesn't really add anything to your soil while newspapers will add organic matter as they rot.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ga.karen,

Hello, Thank you for your helpful suggestions. I could not believe newspapers work, but they really do in place of cloth. Much more inexpensive also. It is a pain trimming around these roses with the grass I have grown so I will use your suggestion. Thanks Again!

As long as you replenish your mulch every year (usually just 1-2" is all that's need) and do pull anything you notice pop up....they should keep the area clear of "stuff" unless you have an underground creeping grass (like my bermuda). If you do get a problem...just rake your mulch back, lay some more papers & replace the mulch. LOTS cheaper and you don't have to run to the store for it either!

I'm sorry but the idea of purposely putting something at the base of a rosebush that will increase the chance of inviting pests and disease is not something I'd look favorably at.

Roses have a history of being attacked by many things that cause it....and the rose grower..misery from malformed leaves, to holes in leaves, to browning leaves, to flowers that don't open, or cane ends that appear with holes; the stories go on and on.
With everything that we try to avoid before the rose goes into dormancy, placing rotting sheets of paper at its base is I think risky.

Grass will find a way to grow no matter what we do and the idea of not tearing it out as it appears but left to time to manage it is also a risky proposition.
The paper routine has to be of more than 6, preferably 10, pages, then piled onto with soil which is wetted and rocks or other weight placed on top to keep it in place. The grass underneath is supposed to be killed by not having sunlight and starve it of oxygen. That's the idea. Unfortunately in the real world grass roots don't just give up and die, they'll wait their time and come up mostly because you keep feeding the roses which, at this time though, should be cut back to allow dormancy to come naturally before winter.

The human hand is still the best tool when we want to get things done.

quote:

Originally posted by Loonie:
I'm sorry but the idea of purposely putting something at the base of a rosebush that will increase the chance of inviting pests and disease is not something I'd look favorably at.

Roses have a history of being attacked by many things that cause it....and the rose grower..misery from malformed leaves, to holes in leaves, to browning leaves, to flowers that don't open, or cane ends that appear with holes; the stories go on and on.
With everything that we try to avoid before the rose goes into dormancy, placing rotting sheets of paper at its base is I think risky.

Grass will find a way to grow no matter what we do and the idea of not tearing it out as it appears but left to time to manage it is also a risky proposition.
The paper routine has to be of more than 6, preferably 10, pages, then piled onto with soil which is wetted and rocks or other weight placed on top to keep it in place. The grass underneath is supposed to be killed by not having sunlight and starve it of oxygen. That's the idea. Unfortunately in the real world grass roots don't just give up and die, they'll wait their time and come up mostly because you keep feeding the roses which, at this time though, should be cut back to allow dormancy to come naturally before winter.

The human hand is still the best tool when we want to get things done.

And just what do you base all these claims on Loonie? BTW, you screen name does seem to fit!
((Big Grin))
I know mgt. has completed the Master Gardener course for her state and I have completed it for mine.
I'm sure if Kimm stops in, he will agree also!
And I'm down here in insect haven and nothing bothers either my knockout roses nor my regular roses which all either have heavy mulch or the newspaper/mulch combo. It actually helps keep some soil fungi from splashing on the roses when it rains!

There are people who just don't trust growing roses--they just seem to have too many things that bother them so they avoid them.
They get a reputation they are hard to grow and keep longer than one or two seasons.

If any reader is a rose person, goodo...if you can keep a rose in bloom longer than xxxx
then again......goodo!

To invite pests on purpose is, I say again 'risky'. if you get away with it...then maybe you have something.

Mulching a rosebush is one thing....but placing rotting material at the base of a rose is ---I say again, asking for trouble.
And since trouble is a rose's constant companion....

This from an article from a well-known rose website: The information given can be found at any site that speaks about how to protect roses, this is just one that I found in a few seconds search.

Roses have the reputation of suffering greatly from pests and diseases. However, a regular program of prevention backed up with prompt treatment of any incipient infestations will keep your roses healthy year-round.

Start by keeping your rose garden meticulously clean. Remove weak, diseased, or dead stems by pruning 1 inch below the damaged section into healthy tissue. Remove fallen petals and leaves without delay. Don't allow weeds to grow; they may harbor insects and disease. Cultivate the soil regularly to expose insect and diseases to the sun. Most insects can be removed with a spray of water or by shaking the bush over a basin of soapy water. Diseases that can't be eliminated by pruning can be controlled by applying appropriate pesticides.

I maintain that purposely putting something that is wanted to compost down at the base of a rose bush is inviting diseases; the expressed opposite to what the experts advise not to do.

As with any other foreign material, weeds, grass, hard soil, debris, should be removed immediately.

Grass is not all that difficult to pull out by hand and, as far as I'm concerned, fits the category.

Seriously?

Site from Loonie's quote.
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/h...-care-for-roses6.htm
Proper ediquette is to link your quote. BTW. experience from Master Gardeners is far better than some link using an uncited source.

Thanks, Now What.

Thank you Now What!

There is no way I would follow instructions like in that link! I don't use chemicals if at all possible.
Knockout roses aren't like other roses anyway!
Almost a completely different animal!

Since our soils are made up of "rotting materials", it seems kind of silly to not put down "rotting materials" to enrich the soil!

quote:

Originally posted by ga.karen:
Thank you Now What!


Knockout roses aren't like other roses anyway!
Almost a completely different animal!

Exactly! There is no comparison. I planted my first Knock-outs this year and they thrived...with very little help from me. I watered a lot because of the hot, hot weather and lack of rain, fertilized sparingly with Miracle Gro, and mulched. That's it. They grew two feet or more and put out tons of gorgeous flowers. Happy, happy dance. Loonie doesn't have a clue....

quote:

Knockout roses aren't like other roses anyway!
Almost a completely different animal!

Exactly! There is no comparison. I planted my first Knock-outs this year and they thrived...with very little help from me. I watered a lot because of the hot, hot weather and lack of rain, fertilized sparingly with Miracle Gro, and mulched. That's it. They grew two feet or more and put out tons of gorgeous flowers

Not quite dealing with the question: should the writer resort to other means rather than just pulling the grass out from around her rosebush.

I maintain, and its an opinion, like others have offered....without the rudeness....
that roses are somehow different than other plants; which is --again in my opinion, and backed by countless others; roses are no different than other plants; that they can be affected by all manner of diseases,

Whether I have a clue or not, is not the question; and for the person who offered that bright comment....I have 6 knock-out roses which are doing famously. I agree, they are a wonderful rose for any beginner or novice rose person to try.
I personally have had no luck with other roses...but changed my mind with my first knock-out. Still though, I have other types which this year have given me hope.

But..again, in discussing a subject, let's stick to the question:
Should a person put something at the base of the rose that can bring on disease.
Maybe, we can replace the word "rose" with --
"plant"....that kind of totals the hundreds of thousands of what is in the garden.

The advocate of one to suggest someone is a "master gardener" and ergo, should end any counter discussion on the matter is not to be taken seriously; she offers no comments on the subject at hand.

Belstone: I do hope you learn about your rose's needs of pruning. Proper cutting back can often mean the difference to your plant's coming back next season. While the rose might not need 'winterizing' like other roses, they too can be affected by what winter throws at them.

quote:

Originally posted by Loonie:
[QUOTEBelstone: I do hope you learn about your rose's needs of pruning. Proper cutting back can often mean the difference to your plant's coming back next season. While the rose might not need 'winterizing' like other roses, they too can be affected by what winter throws at them.

In fact, I learned this in my research...pruning in the first year is not recommended, as well, cutting back in the spring rather than fall is recommended for the health of the plant.

quote:

The advocate of one to suggest someone is a "master gardener" and ergo, should end any counter discussion on the matter is not to be taken seriously; she offers no comments on the subject at hand.

And, I'm not going to either.

Loonie, I don't get here often and can't believe you are still throwing out bad advice! Your name is indeed, what you are. Good choice!

Thank you Hammer! Yes, we strongly suspect that this is our "poster" of many, many names!

quote:

Your name is indeed, what you are. Good choice!

EXACTLY! And since I have now posted here, "it" will check out this thread as "it" likes to try to start problems for both Kimm & I more than others!