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.
What parts of my rose bushes can I compost?
Last edited by Braves on Sat May 29, 2010 8:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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)
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)