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Ever tried cover crops/green manure in rosebeds?

11 years ago

I ordered Peaceful Valley's Palestinian clover & clover mix to try to get some quality soil established on the thin caliche I'm trying to colonize for roses. And to establish a good thick live mulch for the warmer weather. The previous owner here seeded clover around a bigtooth maple & the area has some good water retaining dirt.

Another poster (so sorry, I can't recall your name) recommended white sweet alyssium as a deep-rooted live mulch for his roses

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Comments (3)

floridarosez9 Morgan
11 years ago
I've never used it in my beds, but I have in my pastures. It does help, but my soil is sand, so not sure what it would do for you. I also use the short low growing alyssum at the base of my roses, but don't get the maritime tall. It kind of climbs the roses here. I've discovered my roses can't handle any competition. I've wondered how people manage to grow clematis in their roses, but haven't actually tried it.
kittymoonbeam
11 years ago
The benefit of alyssum is that it attracts ladybugs and the juvenile ladybugs live there (looking much different than the adults so don't think they are pests). They eat up every aphid they can find.
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User
11 years ago
Yes, I use a lot of these sort of things as I hate to see bare soil and never have enough compost to have a good deep mulch. I have a mix of stuff like clover (white and alsike) around my fruit bushes as a living mulch, and I allow short annuals such as nigella to colonise the area underneath my roses. Although it is often said that roses do not like competition, I tend to grow fairly robust roses, close to the species, and also ensure that I grow annuals and perennials with shallow and undemanding roots (many hardy geraniums, night scented stocks, wild strawberries, potentillas, geums.....and many, many bulbs. However, it is a fairly untidy and informal look which would not be suitable for some garden styles (because I am not that conscientious about weeding either).

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