As a new rose grower many years ago, I was taught to add bone meal to the bottom of my planting hole, mixing it in the soil, prior to adding the plant. As I plan for the upcoming season, I wonder if others still do this? My fall pH test indicated that I have plenty of phosphate in my soil. My pH needs a bit of help as it is ~ 7.2 throughout my beds. I have read that bone meal needs an acidic pH to break down. Interested in your thoughts!
I was taught this too, and also for bulbs. What Iāve learned over the past couple years of studying soil science is that most soils have plenty of phosphorus and there is no reason to add more. In fact, adding more can be detrimental for several reasons.
I think in your case I would use sulfur in my beds, much as you would in a blueberry patch, to lower your pH. Perhaps using a fertilizer intended for rhodyās and azaleas (acid lovers) would be more useful in your beds?
Hereās some reading: Excessive Phosphorus In Garden Soils - Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Thanks - it is interesting that the more we learn the simpler rose growing gets! I do at sulphur to my soil (pH used to be higher). I keep working at it! I keep wondering if the limestone blocks used in my rose garden wall are having an impact.
How did we get a āwealth of knowledgeā on growing roses as it exists today? First and foremost, by word of mouth, Someone thought to be a good rose grower, or someone who wins in rose shows regularly and hel in high regard utters some thing, or attributes his success to the latest āthingā that he used iin his rose garden this season, it becomes words of a rose master. Then it is spread widely by people who were privileged to hear it nto peaople who would listen to them, in turn, and so on. So a lot of āinformationā becomes accepted and entrenched into this art of rose growing without any testing to see if it is the right information. Similarly there are innumerable things we believe in and follow , often adding fertilizers without a demonstrated need for the same (via a soil test) and sometimes we manage to ruin our soil chemistry. There is a huge barrier to correct existing inaccuracies as people are scared to question something a famous rosarian once said and few have the time and perhaps inclination to review and update existing literature and guidelines. Yes, phophorus in the bone meal is very slow to be released in a form that can be taken up by rose roots. So is calcium from egg cells. And a lot of things that are promoted even now may not be necessary and may be inadviseable. Fertilizing means adding things that are necessary but lacking in the soil-- and nothing more!
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What soil testing lab do you recommend and what is its location?
I recommend our county extension services - they are very helpful and reasonably priced. I do separate testings for each of my gardens typically in early spring. If there is a garden with an outlier pH - I will retest midsummer. That hasnāt happened for a while now.
Our local extension service is fine, but Satish uses a soil lab that provides more information.
I send soil Samples to a lab called Waypoint Analytical, previously known as A & L Laboratories. They have many locations, including one in Charlotte, NC
But I send my samples to the one in Virginia. You can Google fpr address. Their prices are quite reasonable and the turn around time is really fast, usually one working day.
University extension services are nearly free, but may take a few days, and are quite excellent too. I had sent many samples to the Clemson Ext. Agency when I used to Live in Columbia and frequently split a sample into two, sending one to each of those two labs and results were nearly identical.
Clemson has outstanding detail and explanation on their page two. The mst important lesson I learned was to follow the recommendations in the test. You do not need to add any of the magical stuff. At best, you are wasting time and money and at worst, you may be damaging your soil.
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Thank you! I have seen a Waypoint report from another Rosarian in my society. It is very detailed.
Lots of folks sulphur their soil, which is generally accepted practice and still considered āorganicā and weāve done it as well.
In my research and experience, however, Iāve discovered that deep forking and adding organic matter also really helps. We used winter crops like tillage radish, winter rye and clover to our next years beds. Native weeds are actually amazing for your soil.
We only use bone meal if we want to add phosphorous. We like leaf mulch and kelp (especially when we lived on the coast), clean composed horse or steer manure, blood meal if we want more nitrogen and Epsom salts for magnesium.
Thank you Erica! I have been adding a quality local compost to the rose garden the last couple of years with great results in the garden! I am going to skip adding bone meal while planting my new roses this year as given the amount of phosphorus in my soil I donāt think it is warranted!
Thank you Satish for your reply. I have been fighting the couch botonists for years, and those who buy into anything new for their garden without any scientific reason.
Rich Baer
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Good to āseeā you out here Rich!
We could go down a pretty good rabbit hole if we started sharing all the ātips and tricksā I see floating around on FB.
Last summer my neighbor asked me about his tomatoes. Told me someone told him to put banana skins in water and give the toms the water. I gently explained why that was um, unnecessary!