When to Compost Roses

Composting

• Build a compost pile using a 20- to 40-gallon plastic bin. Fill the bin half full with garden soil to add structure, then add organic yard and kitchen scraps to nourish and balance the pile. Water the pile at least once a week to keep it consistently moist. Keep the bin out of the rain, and use a garden fork or shovel to turn the pile at least once a day. The pile needs aeration and moisture to break down into compost, so more frequent turning means a quicker composting process.

Roses in the Compost

• Add rose leaves, blooms and buds or flowers to the compost pile as you prune, but check all foliage carefully first. Don't add any diseased or infested foliage, as that will spread disease and pests through the compost pile, and eventually through your garden. Don't add flowers that have gone to seed, as the seeds will disseminate through the compost and sprout.

Compost for Planting

• Use your compost to wake the roses up in spring or to plant new rosebushes. "Harvest" the homemade compost when it turns dark, loose and crumbly. Turn 6 inches of compost into the top 12 to 18 inches of soil in a planting site to loosen and nourish the soil, and to give the rosebush a rich, hearty foundation. Use a mixture of half quick-draining potting loam and half homemade organic compost for potted roses.

Compost for Maintenance

• Roses like consistently loose, rich and moist soil, so add compost every two three months to maintain your soil quality. Mix 2 to 3 inches of homemade compost into the top 2 to 3 inches of soil around the rosebush to increase soil health, and use compost as much during the winter months.