Roses are among the oldest ornamental plants of all - the first specimens probably bloomed around 5000 years ago in the gardens of the Chinese emperors. The popularity of the "queen of flowers" is unbroken to this day, but it also has a reputation as a garden dweller that is difficult to cultivate. You can find out here whether and how special rose soil can help your roses to be more healthy and lush in bloom.

Roses thrive best in special rose soil

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. What is rose soil?
  3. Buy rose soil
  4. Do you need special rose soil?
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. the essentials in brief

    • Rosenerde is a plant substrate specially tailored to the needs of roses.
    • It should be loose and well drained, rich in nutrients and stable. However, many products contain peat instead of hummus or compost.
    • Rose soil can be mixed quite easily, even in large quantities.
    • All you need is normal garden soil, compost, sand and a fertilizer mixture made from rotted cattle manure (€18.80), horn shavings (€32.93) and primary rock dust.

    What is rose soil?

    Rose soil is a special substrate that has been specially adapted to the needs of roses. It is a special soil whose typical characteristics are the following:

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

    This allows plenty of air and water to reach the plant roots, and the risk of waterlogging and root rot is reduced to a minimum. Nevertheless, the roots of the roses find sufficient support.

    Composition of commercially available rose soil

    Depending on the manufacturer, the composition of rose soil differs significantly, the only thing the various special substrates have in common is that they are perfectly tailored to the needs of the roses in terms of soil and their nutrient composition. Typical components are above all these:

    • peat: is often used for various substrates due to its good water-storing properties and the fact that it can be bought cheaply from the manufacturer
    • compost: loose humus soil is the main component of many peat-free rose soils, often made from green waste or spruce or pine bark
    • volume: and clay minerals provide strength and valuable nutrients
    • rock dust: based on basalt, for example, provide minerals
    • long-term fertilizer: Depending on the product, on a mineral or biological basis, provides the initial fertilization for the first four to six weeks

    Some products also contain ingredients such as mycorrhiza fungi (Glomus intraradices), wood or coconut fibers or clay granules. You can also choose between conventional and organic quality rose soil. Pay attention to the certification according to DIN ISO 9001, then the selected rose soil meets the desired requirements.

    digression

    Is there a difference between rose soil and potting soil?

    Basically, the differences between rose soil and potting soil are not particularly great, roses would also thrive well in conventional potting or potting soil. It only has to have these properties: loose structure, yet stable and rich in humus. If the substrate falls apart in your hands, feels fluffy and soft and has a pleasant smell of forest soil, it is of good quality and well suited for roses.

    Buy rose soil - purchase criteria and tips

    It makes sense to buy good quality rose soil

    "Don't skimp on high-quality potting soil, after all, no one has stayed healthy for long after eating only fast food!"

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

    rose soil composition packaging price
    Compo Sana rose earth White peat, humus, clay, manure depot for eight weeks 20 liters, 40 liters about 30 cents per liter
    Cuxin rose earth White peat, basalt flour, mycorrhizal fungi 20 liters, 45 liters about 33 cents per liter
    Dehner Rosenerde Peaty, mineral NPK fertilizer (storage fertilization) 40 liters about 22 cents per liter
    Floragard organic rose soil without peat Peat-free, green waste compost, coconut pith, storage fertilizer 40 liters about 67 cents per liter
    Floragard rose soil Peaty, with clay granules and long-term fertilizer 40 liters about 27 cents per liter
    Neudorff Neudohum Rosenerde peat-free, pre-fertilized for four weeks, with mycorrhizal fungi 20 liters, 40 liters about 36 cents per liter
    OBI rose and ornamental wood soil Peaty (reduced peat), initial fertilization for four weeks 45 liters about 20 cents per liter
    Plantop Rosenerde peaty, with clay, pre-fertilized 45 liters about 36 cents per liter
    Seramis peat-free rose soil Peat-free plant granules, pre-fertilized 17.5 liters approx. 91 cents per liter
    Substral rose earth peaty 20 liters about 90 cents per liter
    Toom Rosenerde peaty, with clay, pre-fertilized 40 liters about 17 cents per liter

    Where can you buy rose soil?

    You can basically buy rose soil everywhere, for example

    • in the big online department stores like Amazon or eBay
    • in various online shops of the garden and hardware stores
    • in the stationary garden and hardware store
    • as a time-limited special offer in discounters or surplus stock markets

    Regarding the last two points, it should be said that you can often buy cheap rose soil here - but it is often of poor quality, contains a lot of peat and is sometimes infested with pest eggs or larvae (such as fungus gnats). If you decide to use such soil anyway, be sure to upgrade it with an admixture of compost or humus soil, clay or clay granules and, if necessary, some sand.

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

    What does Rosenerde cost?

    In principle, rose soil is significantly more expensive than conventional plant substrate, although the price range varies greatly depending on the manufacturer and the composition of the substrate. As you can see from the table above, inexpensive rose soils 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 containing mycorrhizal fungi are particularly expensive.

    For comparison: You can get high-quality universal potting soil without peat and in organic quality (e.g. from Compo Bio or Obi) for around 20 cents a liter - i.e. for the price at which the less high-quality rose soils only start. Therefore, when using larger quantities - for example for a bed of roses - you should carefully consider whether you would rather mix the rose substrate yourself. Otherwise you will quickly lose several hundred euros for the substrate. For potting a rose in a tub, rose soil is more worthwhile, because you need smaller quantities here anyway.

    digression

    What do mycorrhiza fungi actually do in rose soil? Do they actually make sense?

    The mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices, which is often used for rose soil, is a soil-dwelling fungus that pulls its threads through the soil and is supposed to keep it loose. There are various scientific studies on whether and how this fungus affects the growth and flowering of roses. However, the results are not easy to assess. Some studies point to a positive effect, while others note no difference between conventionally planted roses and those grown in mycorrhizal soil. Ultimately, it is more of a marketing measure to be able to sell a plant substrate at a particularly high price.

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

    Peat-free soil is preferable for ecological reasons

    For decades, peat has been a popular and proven starting material for various substrates, including rose soil. Peat has very good water-storing properties and reliably releases moisture when needed. However, peat has fallen into disrepute for ecological reasons, because in order to extract it, moors that have grown over thousands of years have to be drained - only then can peat be mined.

    On the one hand, this means 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, bogs 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-hazardous gas is released into the atmosphere and fuels climate change there. For these reasons, you should avoid substrates containing peat, 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 the special soils that are actually necessary, such as orchid, palm or propagation soil, rose soil is by no means indispensable - quite the opposite, because the "queen of flowers" is not nearly as demanding in terms of soil as you might think could. A loose, well-drained garden soil that contains as much clay as possible is just right - at least if there is no rose at the intended location.

    Never plant a rose on top of a rose, it will almost certainly go wrong! It is better to look for a new place, because soil fatigue 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 rose soil yourself

    youtube

    Much cheaper - especially when it comes to providing larger areas with rose soil - is to mix an optimal substrate yourself. For this you need

    • humus-rich topsoil, is sometimes available for collection free of charge or cheaply in the garden center
    • compost soil
    • sand
    • Lime or powdered rock, horn shavings,(32.93€) well-rotted cattle manure as long-term fertilization

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

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

    Incidentally, cattle manure is the perfect natural fertilizer for roses because it has the right composition of the required nutrients. If you can't get cattle manure, you can also use pellets (available at garden centers). These also have the advantage that they smell less.

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

    frequently asked Questions

    Can you plant roses in hydrangea soil?

    Hydrangea soil is not suitable for roses

    We would advise against this, as hydrangea soil (also known as rhododendron soil) 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 tubs?

    Repot your tub roses into a larger tub and fresh substrate about every two to three years. Always replace the soil completely on this occasion so that the rose is again in loose, nutrient-rich soil.

    What pH is ideal 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 it. For this reason, purely mineral fertilization is not recommended.

    tips

    If you use ready-made rose soil and do not use it up completely, seal the bag as airtight as possible. Not only does the substrate otherwise dry out and thus become unusable, fungus gnats can also settle there.

Category:

Vegetable garden