Can I use bark mulch around roses

Roses thrive when their roots are kept cool, moist and free from weed competition, so a well-timed dressing of bark mulch can be a shrewd ally. Wait until spring pruning is finished, then spread a five-centimetre blanket over damp soil, beginning a handspan from each stem and fanning outward to the drip line. This gap prevents canes rotting while still sealing moisture below. The mulch suppresses germinating seedlings, shades the surface on hot afternoons and softens the splash of rain that might otherwise spread fungal spores onto foliage. In windy gardens it also irons out temperature swings that can crack young graft unions.

Because bark rich in carbon can momentarily borrow nitrogen as it decomposes, scatter a ring of well-rotted manure or granular feed before mulching; roses repay the gesture with stronger growth and richer perfume. If blackbirds toss the chips about, water lightly to bed them in. Over twelve months the layer fades to coffee-brown humus, which earthworms tug down, opening channels for air and water. Top up each spring to maintain depth. AHS LTD supplies chunky grades that knit together yet still allow irrigation to trickle through, giving roses the balance of insulation and breathability they favour.