I added a 6-8" layer of partially composted shredded tree mulch to my garden a couple months after the roses were planted, back in October 2013. I carefully made a "bowl" around each rose, keeping the mulch no higher than 2" or so on the canes, because I kept reading that it's what I was supposed to do. Over that Winter, which was harsh, all the snow leveled out the mulch. In Spring, I worked composted manure into the mulch, but didn't bother scraping it away from the roses. I continued adding layers of organic matter -- tree leaves and used coffee grounds -- to maintain the 6-8" difference from the soil level of the lawn. By now, the roses have generated feeder roots along the buried portions of the canes, and thus have easier access to nutrients added to the surface, but also have roots very deep to access water between the rains here.

:-)

~Christopher

We don't get "winters" -- harsh or not -- in Southern California so the bark chips don't need to protect the rose canes from the weather. Besides the eventual decomposition of the bark chips, I want the bark chips to reduce weeds.

I'm sure someone from CA will come along and give you advice...I suppose its dry where your located?

I didn't use it for Winter protection -- I used it as a base for filling what was to become a raised bed, but the roses were planted into the native soil, so they ended up having 6-8" of cane buried. My point was that trying to keep it away from the rose canes became futile, so I just let it be -- and the roses are just fine.

:-)

~Christopher

My 20 roses are several/many years old and they are growing in bare soil in my garden. The graft unions are between 2 and 5 inches above the soil. I've read that bark mulch should not touch the rose canes. How many inches should the mulch be kept away from the rose canes?

I usually keep the drip area under the rose uncovered by the pine bark mulch. That way I don't have to move it when adding amendments or fertilizers.

I have sixty 2-cu. ft. bags of bark mulch to spread on top of the soil in my 400 sq. ft. garden.

When emptying the bags onto the soil, how can I ensure the bark mulch layer is consistently 4 inches thick? (I want to keep the raking to a minimum).

I've already incorporated KELLOGG's N’RICH SOIL ENRICHING CONDITIONER into the soil and applied Milorganite within the drip-lines of the roses.

I usually spread it by hand, I don't use a rake. Sometimes I use a small plastic rake for tight spots.

I used a 4"x4" board as a depth-guide but I know its actual size is only 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" so I added about one more inch of bark mulch.

(My 400 sq. ft. garden needed 70 2-cu.-ft. bags of bark mulch).

Great idea with the 4x4 board Gary!

Wow 70 bags of mulch.... Here a large bag of mulch costs anywhere from $4-$7 per bag depending where you buy it...

A large bedded pickup truck fully loaded with mulch costs only $25 here so that's how I buy it... I was spending $120+ for bags then figured out I could do the yard for only $50 with 2 truckloads...

In January, I considered buying the mulch in bulk but it's 200 feet from the dumping location to my garden.

But I'd have to move the much immediately since the dumping location is the parking area of my condo development or I'd be violating the CC&Rs.

I'd then have to get a wheelbarrow or another device to transport the mulch, making many back-and-forth trips between the dumping location and my garden.

I decided buy the mulch in 2 cu. ft. bags to avoid all those complications.

The bags didn't cost $4-7. I waited until Lowes had a "4 bags for $10" sale. The first 60 bags cost $2.50 each (sale-price); the last 10 bags cost $3.33 each (regular-price).

The only problem I've had is with young own-root roses where the wet mulch rotted some of the thin canes. When the roses are older and have thick canes it doesn't seem to affect them as much.

So, I have never seen mulch around roses. Why so much? Wont that much mulch cover the plant? Does anyone have an answer to Gary's question? How far from the canes should the mulch be?

Buford got it - keep the mulch away from the base of each rose. For a young rose, that would be a circle with about a twelve inch radius. Mulch goes between the roses to inhibit weeds, retain moisture and improve the soil.

AJ, you probably have normal soil and don't get as hot for as long as those of us in warmer zones do. I never saw mulch until I moved down south. We have clay soil, which will turn to cement if not mulched. Also, mulch keeps the weeds down and helps keep the soil moist. It will also break down and add organic material to the soil.

I also use mulch to keep the soil moist. Also for inhibiting weeds. The weeds that do come up are easier to control. Don't use it for winter protection--we all know what freeze/thaw does to roads.

Gary, I know what you mean by bags of mulch being easier to use sometimes... We shovel the mulch out of the truck on to our front sidewalk then I have to wheelbarrow it out into the yard about 80ft -90ft away...

Bet your glad that job is done....

We have areas in our yard that can be mulched and other areas that can not because of it keeping the soil to wet... Our soil type varies...