Rose Thorns or Children?

Roses – love them or hate them, there a pain in the butt to grow. They remind me of children I see in the grocery store wailing and stomping there feet for a candy bar, way to much work. But as difficult and irritating as roses are to grow, I still try. So if you’re like me and try every year to bloom the perfect rose you already know about pruning, mounding soil in the fall, sunlight, and black spot. But did you know that once a rose garden has died, you should wait before re-planting roses in that same area? Like many trees and plants, the roots of a rose bush secrete toxins into the soil to eliminate competition. By leaving the area empty of anything other then annuals for a couple of years, the toxins will eventually leach from the soil. Once the toxins are gone, you can once again start the joyful task of being a slave to your roses.