I like about 2-4 inches of mini pine bark nuggets, and have few weed problems. When I do have them, just a few shakes of Preen does the trick. I have also painted the weed's leaves with Roundup. Note, I said painted, because spraying the weeds with the material can allow for drift and that's not great for the roses.

Similar to roseman (hello!), Preen then mulch. But, for those weeds that send out runners, you have to dig those out or paint on the Roundup.

If you've had any problems with crown gall, spading near your roses roots would not be good, as you'd be breaking root hairs and letting the bacteria in.
I am also hesitant to use any systemic herbicides on any potentially perennial weeds.
Read Golino's paper on RMV transmission between roses for the results of Glyphosate going voliatile (it didn't) and being transmitted root to root (it apparently did.) (in the Acta Hort on the Rose Conference in Ca in '06)

I get as close as i can with the riding lawn mower and clip with grass shears or pull. i don't do wood mulch anymore cause it gets caught in the shears. I don't really have rosebeds though, mine are planted in the yard.

A thick layer of pine bark does the trick. Then hand pulling. There is no other safe way.

How do you do the RoundUp paint thing? I think I am going to have to use that method to get rid of some Queen Anne Lace which is mixed in with a baby clematis. I tried digging, digging, digging last year to no avail. Now I must resort to something harsher.

Kate

I actually don't have any weeds at all in my rose bed. I don't know why. I don't use mulch, just a thick layer of compost and manure. Maybe no weeds is one benefit of my bed being surrounded by concrete on all 4 sides.

There is an amazing tool called GrandPa's Weeder that works they sell it at www.cleanairgardening.com/grandpa.html and also either at qvc or hsn.

Digging in the soil just brings up more weed seeds to sprout. The cycle has to be stopped. Cultivate, then put Preen on. It will leave a chemical barrier that will stop annual seeds from sprouting. Note is you disturb the chemical barrier, it will have to be applied again to that area

I'm using a very small shovel, about 6" deep. Frankly I don't see any small roots. The point of spading is to turn over the soil, burying the weeds that die along with their roots. Try it!

When did it get modern to not cultivate the soil? We have survived on this planet by cultivating it. The micro whatever are every where in the soil and a bit of stirring will not kill them or disturb them.

And surely using chemicals no matter how carefully used will not be better than cultivating.

I have been weeding, and it is very time consuming.
I think Preen destroyed my columbine, and some other flowers. Wasn't it Malcolm Manners who indicated that Round Up may travel on mulch?

I have a spade fork (small for women), and I put it into the soil, and lift gently. That makes it easier to get the weeds out. I must do this every spring, but it gets rather tedious when it gets hot in the summer.

Sammy

Actually, I did maintain 2 long borders by spading the soil for a couple of years. I theorized that the green material being turned into the soil would help condition/amend it. I actually think it did help. Normally when the soil is turned, dormant weed seeds are exposed and many will germinate; however, after repeated cultivation the germination rate lowers significantly. Because of the size of the beds, it became too much work to continue to cultivate, so I spread a little preen, applied a nice layer of mulch and my weed problems have been relatively minimal since then. I am sure, of course, many others have other opinions on this approach.
Molly

When I was a kid, my brothers and I got weeding detail instead of getting grounded or losing allowance, etc. I finally figured it was a great opportunity to be by oneself, to indulge fantasies, invents stories, plan adventures and solve problems. You can go "off-planet" for hours and still end up with a sense of accomplishment and renewed order. It's also a great opportunity to observer closely--not only roses, but all the life happening in the around them.

I like that idea for punishing children when they're old enough, just hope it doesn't turn them off gardening.

How about a ground cover? I use potentilla. It has sweet little yellow flowers and doesn't need a lot of water like grass. I give it a sprinkling of alfalfa meal in the spring along with the roses and other perennials. It is nearly evergreen in my climate. It might not work in yours but maybe a thyme or another low grower. Scroll down to the third row of pics to see it.

Diana

Here is a link that might be useful: potentilla

Diana, that is a beautiful show. Thank you.
Sammy

I enjoyed that too - your yellow roses are lovely! Thanks for posting.

Roundup does go to the root, kill the weed, and then travel in the soil harming the rose roots in close proximity...

Bark does not cause canker as long as it is kept away from the rose canes...

Preen is mulch soaked in herbicide. Another new one out is Vigoro Mulch. I tried that one last year in one area... didn't notice a difference between it and regular mulch... It stops weeds from germinating, but doesn't do anything to existing weeds...

The area with the best results was the area where I put newspaper covered with 3" of small pellet bark after weeding it to the best of my ability. This year I'm trying the dyed bark to see if it doesn't look all washed out by the end of the season...

Here is a link that might be useful: Preen Mulch

I just hand weed, but I make sure the soil is very wet first, then the weeds just slide out!

Carol

We stopped cultivating the soil (or at least most of us did) because we figured out that every time the soil is turned, new weed seed are exposed.

Roses need mulch. Not as much as for keeping down weeds but for conserving moisture in the soil and (eventually) providing organic matter as it decomposes. Jim, as far as canker, you are thinking about "winter protection mulch", the kind people pile ON TOP their roses to keep them insulated in the winter, not the kind of mulch that goes on top the soil. Some people have said that bark or leaf mulch piled up onto the rose canes can cause canker, but this is not the case with mulching a rose bed.

I use a pretty thick layer of newspaper + shredded leaf mulch. If I didn't have the shredded leaves I would buy bark mulch (the black or brown stuff, not the red stuff). That's great that you enjoy turning the soil to control weeds vs. hand-picking, but your roses need mulch.