The Soil
Roses, and most shrubs like a rich, loamy soil. Loamy soil is basically a good combination of sand, clay, organic matter, and silt. Ensure that soil is not too high in any one of these components. Most commonly, soil may be too high in clay. In this case, add 1/3 by volume (½ by volume in extremely heavy clay soils) of humus material such as compost, peat moss, leaf mold, or well-rotted manure. A yearly application of a top dressing of well-rotted manure or kitchen compost is advised. Soil should be only slightly acidic, about pH 6-6.5. If soil is alkaline, use peat moss as your humus material. If pH is below 5.5, use something other than peat moss as your humus material, and condition soil with lime at a rate of up to five pounds/100 square feet (2 Kg/9.3 square meters). Some shrubs require different pH levels. Please check individual listings.
