Composition and mix yourself

the essentials in brief

• Rose earth is a plant substrate specially tailored to the needs of roses.
• It should be loose and well-drained, nutrient-rich and stable. However, many products contain peat instead of humus or Compost soil.
• Rose earth can easily be mixed in larger quantities yourself.
• All you need is normal garden soil, compost, sand and a mixture of rotted fertilizers Cattle manure,(€ 18.80 at Amazon *)Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) and Primary rock meal.

What is rose earth?

Rose earth is a special substrate that has been specially adapted to the needs of roses. It is a special soil, the typical characteristics of which are as follows:

• loose, airy structure
• nevertheless high stability
• does not clump together

This means that there is plenty of air and water at the plant roots, and the risk of waterlogging and thus root rot is reduced to a minimum. Nevertheless, the roots of the roses find sufficient support.

Composition of standard rose earth

Depending on the manufacturer, the composition of rose earth varies considerably, but they all have in common Special substrates only claim to perfectly meet the needs of roses in terms of soil and its nutrient composition to be matched. Typical components are mainly these:

• peat: is often used for various substrates due to its good water-storing properties and the fact that it can be bought cheaply for the manufacturer
• compost: loose Humus soil is the main component of many peat-free rose soils, this is often made from green cuttings or spruce or Pine bark generated
• volume: and clay minerals provide strength and valuable nutrients
• Rock flour: for example, based on basalt provide minerals
• Slow release fertilizer: depending on the product, on a mineral or biological basis, provides the starter fertilizer for the first four to six weeks

In addition, some products contain ingredients such as mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus intraradices), wood or coconut fibers or Clay granules. You can also choose between rose earth in conventional and organic quality. Pay attention to the certification according to DIN ISO 9001, then the selected rose soil will meet the desired requirements.

Digression

Is there a difference between rose soil and potting soil?

Buy rose earth - purchase criteria and tips

It makes sense to buy high quality rose soil

There is a large selection of different rose earths, we have put together a few of the most popular manufacturers and brands for you.

Where can I buy rose earth?

In principle, you can buy rose earth anywhere, for example

• in the major online department stores such as Amazon or eBay
• in various online shops at gardening and hardware stores
• in the stationary garden specialist and hardware store
• as a time-limited special offer in discounters or remaining stock markets

Regarding the last two points, it should be said that you can often buy cheap rose earth here - but often is of poor quality, contains a lot of peat and sometimes contains pest eggs or larvae (such as sciarid gnats) contaminated. If you decide on such a soil anyway, you should definitely add compost or humus soil, clay or clay granulate and, if necessary, some sand to it.

In addition, you should definitely disinfect these soils before using them and thus kill any pests from the outset. This works very well in the oven or in the microwave, whereby you should moisten the soil well before heating it.

What does rose earth cost?

Basically, rose soil is significantly more expensive than conventional plant substrates, although the price range varies greatly depending on the manufacturer and the composition of the substrate. As you can see from the table above, cheap rose earths start at a price of just under 20 cents per liter - and can climb to over 90 cents per liter. Peat-free soils and products that contain mycorrhizal fungi are particularly expensive.

For comparison: high-quality universal potting soil without peat and in organic quality (for example from Compo Bio or Obi) you can get it for around 20 cents a liter - that is, for the price at which the less high-quality rose earths are available start. Therefore, especially when using larger quantities - for a rose bed, for example - you should carefully consider whether you would rather mix the rose substrate yourself. Otherwise you can quickly get rid of several hundred euros for the substrate. For potting a rose in a bucket, rose earth is more worthwhile, because you need smaller quantities here anyway.

Digression

What do mycorrhizal fungi actually do in the rose soil? Are they really useful?

Which is why it is better to use peat-free soil

Peat-free soil is preferable for ecological reasons

For decades, peat has been a popular and proven raw material for various substrates, including rose soil. Peat has very good water-storing properties and reliably releases moisture again when required. However, peat has fallen into disrepute for ecological reasons, because for its extraction, bogs that have grown over millennia must be drained - only then can peat be broken down.

This means, on the one hand, that rare and valuable habitats for plants and animals are irrevocably lost and, on the other hand, that the CO2 stored in the moors is released. Furthermore, peatlands are important CO2 stores, which of course can no longer fulfill this function after they have been drained. Ultimately, this means that even more of this climate-damaging gas will get into the atmosphere and fuel climate change there. For these reasons, you should avoid peat-containing substrates, especially since there are good alternatives - such as compost or humus soil.

Do you even need special rose soil?

This question is more than justified, because in contrast to actually necessary special soils such as orchid, palm or Potting soil Rose earth is by no means indispensable - on the contrary, because the “queen of flowers” ​​is by no means as demanding as you might think when it comes to the soil. A looser, well-drained and possibly clayey one Garden soil is exactly right - at least if there was no rose at the targeted location.

Never plant a rose on top of a rose, it will almost certainly go wrong! Better look for a new place, because the tiredness of the soil only means that the new rose does not really want to grow and bloom. Even special rose soil does not help in this case, at most a complete soil replacement.

Mix the rose earth yourself

Much cheaper in terms of price - especially when it comes to supplying larger areas with rose earth - is to mix an optimal substrate yourself. For this you need

• rich in humus Topsoil, are sometimes available free of charge for collection or cheaply at the garden center
• Compost soil
• sand
• Lime or primary rock flour, Horn shavings,(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) well rotten Cattle manure as long-term fertilization

Remember that roses have high nutritional needs. Now mix the mentioned ingredients in proportion

• 3 parts topsoil (or normal garden soil)
• 1 part compost soil / mature compost (preferably green waste compost)
• 1 part coarse sand
• 1 part fertilizer mixture

Incidentally, cattle manure is the perfect natural fertilizer for roses because it has the right nutrients in the right composition. If you cannot get cattle manure, you can also use pellets (available in the garden market). These also have the advantage that they stink less.

Now mix the mentioned components together thoroughly, for example with the help of a shovel in one wheelbarrow. Then use the finished, self-mixed rose soil for planting. You can use them both outdoors and in pots.

frequently asked Questions

Can you also plant roses in hydrangea soil?

Hydrangea soil is not suitable for roses

We would advise against this, as hydrangea soil (also rhododendron soil, by the way) has an acidic pH value and is therefore not suitable for roses. The reverse is also true, because Hydrangeas do not thrive in pH-neutral rose soil.

How often do I have to transplant roses in the tub?

Repot your potted roses about every two to three years in a larger container and in fresh substrate. On this occasion, always replace the soil completely so that the rose is back in loose, nutrient-rich soil.

What is the ideal pH for roses?

Roses prefer a pH-neutral to slightly alkaline soil with values ​​between 5.5 and 7.0. The soil should contain as little salt as possible, because the trees are very sensitive to this. For this reason, purely mineral fertilization is not advisable.