Hi there - new to the forum here today. Hope someone can help. I live in Massachusetts currently but in the past have lived in South Carolina. It was from that part of the country we learned about pine straw as a mulching product. Loved it as so light to apply. Living permanently here in the northeast, we have continued to buy the pinestraw and have it shipped up here. However I have noticed over the years, my roses are not as robust as they used to be and suffer a lot of fungus too. In my back yard, I also have roses, but those do not have any mulch around them and are so healthy. Therefore my question is, am I doing some harm to my roses by putting pine straw around them each year?
Welcome to the forum, Hmm, I don’t think the pine needles are the source of the problem. Have you had the two different rose beds soil tested? Please let us know the pH of the two areas and the phosphorus and potassium levels.
How much sun is each area receiving? Can you let us know from what time in the morning until when does the sun move away in each area?
I would recommend using double ground hardwood mulch versus shipping in pine needles. Over time the hardwood mulch breaks down and enriches the soil.
When was the last time you applied compost around your roses?
The way water moves around a garden can sometimes be mysterious. After a good rain, at least an inch, dig around the rose bed not doing as well. Feel if the soil is moist down at least 6 inches, this area may be wetter or dryer than the other rose bed. You need to do some detective work to determine what the probable cause of the problem is in the rose bed you are having issues with.
You bring up many valid points for me to investigate. I have to be honest, I know little about rose care so I value the knowledge I will be gaining from members like yourself. I will certainly do some detective work as indicated. Thank you so much for your reply. Most Kind.
Karen
I doubt it’s the pinestraw mulch causing the problems. For 30 years I have used pinestraw as mulch in my GA garden of 285 prize winning roses with no problems. We certainly have blackspot caused by the heat and humidity but not due to the mulch.
Pine straw is probably not the problem. Lots of pine trees in SE Texas, so we have used it without any noticeable problem. I have a lot of oaks on my property, so I use the leaves from them. They break down better than the pine needles. Roses need about 6+ hours of sun to do well. Also, have you checked the pH of the soil? If it’s too low, 6.8 to 7 is pretty much ideal. If it gets really low, around 5 or lower, the nutrients it needs are locked up in the soil. Have a soil test done if you haven’t already done so.
I might suggest that you remove the pine straw from your unhappy roses and go with a different mulch. I like to use Miracle Grow garden soil for mulch.