Roses grow best in loamy soil with good drainage. Whether you are planting one rose or a bed of roses the following soil mixture works well. Dig the area to a depth of about 20 inches and make sure it drains well. The soil mixture you put back in the bed or planting hole should be one-half native soil, one-quarter Black Kow® composted cow manure, one quarter shredded bark or soil conditioner. You should also add sphagnum peat when planting roses.  In heavy clay soil adding as much pea gravel or expanded shale product as you do bark will improve drainage. Add a half cup super-phosphate per plant and in areas with naturally acid soil add 1 cup garden lime per plant.

Black Kow® is a good addition to your fall rose garden clean up routine as well. Remove the mulch layer from the bed after you cut back roses in the fall and use it somewhere else in the yard. Use a stiff steel rake to break up the surface of the soil. Add Black Kow® as a top dressing to the soil to provide about a quarter-inch coverage. Smooth the surface of the bed with the rake and then re-mulch the bed with your choice of mulch.

This rose growing tip has been provided by Mike Raley, who is host of the "Weekend Gardener" heard on WPTF in North Carolina.