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gcotterl

Bareroot roses and cardboard to prevent weeds

gcotterl
9 years ago

When planting bareroot roses, the instructions say to water the roses deeply then water them at least once per week.

To prevent weeds, I want to lay cardboard on the soil then apply 3-4 inch thick layer of bark chips.

How soon after I plant the roses should I apply the cardboard and mulch?

Comments (8)

  • jerijen
    9 years ago

    Yeah, I'm with Kim. I'd stick to lots of organic mulch.

    For dog's sake, don't do what we did!

    WE laid out "Weedcloth." We dealt with that for years and years, and it in no way stopped the Bermuda Grass that infests this entire area.

  • floridarosez9 Morgan
    9 years ago

    I use layers of newspaper with mulch over it, but I'm in a very humid climate. It's not difficult to keep it moist here, and the earthworms love it.

  • roseseek
    9 years ago

    There are MANY things you can get away with if you have real rain. But, if you are fortunate to have just enough to poop up your windshield or give you fungal issues, but not really soak the soil, even a really deep mulch can keep your plants from receiving sufficient water. It has to SOAK through all the "stuff" you put down on top of the soil before it can reach the roots. Here, the cardboard, or even a very deep, absorbant mulch, can easily result in water stressed plants simply because the "rain" won't reach the actual root level. I'm with Jeri, NEVER use "weed cloth" unless it's somewhere you never want to ever dig a hole. NASTY stuff. You just end up with weeds and grass rooted in the fibrous material which shreds and pokes up through whatever you've spread over it. I deal with it at two places where they've used bark chunks and "decorative pea gravel". Neither is attractive and neither prevents weeds. Kim

  • bossyvossy
    9 years ago

    What? Cardboard danger, that's a little out there. Have you ever left a box out overnight, only to find a soft and maybe soggy mess the next morning? That means water DOES go through immediately. I use mostly cardboard b/c it seems to be a better weed barrier. I plant plants (rose or whatever ), wet the base to let soil settle and eliminate air pockets and immediately or the next day or as soon as I have time, lay cardboard and a thin later of mulch and I'm done! Weeds not an issue unless area is particularly sunny AND moist. Any plant, weeds included, like these conditions. I don't use paper or cardboard again and it seems like a yearly layer of mulch is pretty helpful towards weed control in subsequent years.

    Houston area is humid. If your area is particularly dry, perhaps the cardboard won't start decomposing within 24 hrs but geez, I do think it will decompose. Use cardboard w/o fear, I say.

    This post was edited by bossyvossy on Sun, Jan 25, 15 at 18:44

  • jerijen
    9 years ago

    Again -- It depends upon your conditions. If your climate is very wet -- you get LOTS of rain -- have at it.

    Otherwise, I'd reconsider it, and stick with heavy mulching.

    Local conditions always make a difference.

  • dan_keil_cr Keil
    9 years ago

    One thing you want to do with a new bush is to cover the canes and pile it high over the canes. The rose has no roots on it yet. It has no way to replace the moisture lost. The mulch helps protect the canes.
    The other thing you can do is to use Wiltpruf.

    Dan Keil
    ARS Q&A

  • bart_2010
    9 years ago

    I've started using cardboard,too,and am finding it very helpful,though i do see Jeri and Kim's point.Here in Tuscany the pattern tends to be for rain in autumn /winter, and a very dry spring/ summer,so what I am aiming for is to get as much as possible of my garden covered up with cardboard BEFORE THE SOIL DRIES OUT. Last year I found that the cardboard, when covered by organic matter, broke down extremely fast; I had to re-mulch two or three times at least. This year, my ideal aim would be to do my first mulching with the main idea of conserving the moisture. This will rot away too quickly to be of much help once bindweed season really gets underway in summer,so I'll have to re-do the whole thing then. But my main goal is to try to basically prevent my soil from drying out for as long as possible into the summer months,and to try to get control of the bindweed and some of the worst, most aggressive perennial weeds,and I don't think I could do that without the help of the cardboard..