Braves
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 7:36 pm

What parts of my rose bushes can I compost?

I was wondering what parts of my rose bushes I should compost and what parts I should stay away ( like the thorny branches) composting? I'm sure it's okay to do the roses themselves and the leaves from the branches. I'm just not sure I should compost the rose hips (ovaries/ovules)? Any and all advice would be appreciated. And if someone has experience in the length it would take everything to breakdown would be appreciated.

My compost pile is a "hot" pile in a compost ball. So no trouble with heat. I'm not experiencing any rose diseases. I'm talking spent blooms and green leaves from bushes.
Last edited by Braves on Sat May 29, 2010 8:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

cynthia_h
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7500
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 7:02 pm
Location: El Cerrito, CA

I don't compost any part of my rose bushes. However, that's because I constantly struggle against black spot, rust, and powdery mildew *and* my compost runs to the cool/cold side of things.

So when I clean up underneath the roses or snip off diseased blooms/leaves, they go directly into the yard-waste container and not the compost.

As to the branches, again I don't compost them because of the cold temps in my compost. If I had a hot compost pile, I'd definitely chop the branches up w/pruning shears to 4-6" lengths and toss 'em in.

Not sure how I'd feel putting diseased blooms and leaves in, even into a hot pile, though...think I'll wait to hear from those who *do* have hot piles and roses.

Cynthia (Vergil popped some sutures today and now has staples + sutures, half of a holiday weekend Saturday blown in the waiting area of the vet hospital)

rot
Greener Thumb
Posts: 728
Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:15 am
Location: Ventura County, CA, Sunset 23

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It has been recommended that you don't compost diseased rose plant material because you just re-introduce the disease when you apply it to your roses.

Dry country, not a lot of disease, not squeamish - I just compost it all. Anything that's gone through the mower is fair game to me.

to sense
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