6 Best Compost For Roses of 2024

By Harry RamosLast update: 2024-03-26

Attractive roses can enhance the beauty of your garden, but it’s difficult to grow. If you want to have good blooms of roses, add the right compost to this type of flower. This solution can provide your roses with essential nutrients and improve the soil condition to create an ideal environment for growing roses.

Here are the best compost for roses you can buy in 2024:

  • Best For Water Retention: Heirloom Roses 100% Natural Mint Compost
  • Long-Lasting: Black Kow Composted Cow Manure Fertilizer
  • Odor-Free: R&M Organics Premium Organic Compost
  • Compost And Manure Combo: Michigan Peat Wholly Cow Compost and Manure
  • Easy To Apply: GS Plant Foods Liquid Compost
  • Best For Larger Roses: Charlie's Compost
6 Best Compost For Roses
Best For Water Retention
Heirloom Roses 100% Natural Mint Compost
    Long-Lasting
    Black Kow Composted Cow Manure Fertilizer
      Odor-Free
      R&M Organics Premium Organic Compost
        Compost And Manure Combo
        Michigan Peat Wholly Cow Compost and Manure
          Easy To Apply
          GS Plant Foods Liquid Compost
            Best For Larger Roses
            Charlie's Compost

              Best For Water Retention: Heirloom Roses 100% Natural Mint Compost

              Heirloom Roses 100% Natural Mint Compost
              Heirloom Roses 100% Natural Mint Compost
              Pros
              • Simple to use
              • Rich and pleasant smell
              Cons
              • Expensive

              Is the weather in your area hot?

              Or doesn't your soil retain moisture well?

              If yes, it has an adverse impact on growing roses. This type of plant requires regular watering, so you must water them often and the soil has to retain the moisture well. You can improve the water retention by using the Heirloom Roses 100% Natural Mint Compost because this feature is one of its 3 key features, playing an important role in growing roses.

              Heirloom Roses 100% Natural Mint Compost Specifications

              Size

              7 Quarts

              Form

              Powder

              Ingredients

              100% Natural Mint

              Highlight Features

              Water retention

              Plant protection

              Soil enrichment

              Verdict

              The Heirloom Roses 100% Natural Mint Compost helps your roses retain the water well.

              Long-Lasting: Black Kow Composted Cow Manure Fertilizer

              Black Kow Composted Cow Manure Fertilizer
              Black Kow Composted Cow Manure Fertilizer
              Pros
              • Easy to use and mix
              • Good for potted flower plants
              • Great soil additive
              Cons
              • Expensive
              • Smelly cow manure

              If you want to provide your roses with nutrients and improve the soil quality for a long time, just choose the Black Kow Composted Cow Manure Fertilizer. The organic matter and other nutrients in this composted cow manure release gradually, so it won’t burn the tender roots.

              Black Kow Composted Cow Manure Fertilizer Specifications

              Size

              4 pounds

              Form

              Powder

              Ingredients

              Composted cow manure

              Highlight Features

              Moisture-holding properties

              Verdict

              The Black Kow Composted Cow Manure Fertilizer is a long-term investment since it releases nutrients slowly.

              Odor-Free: R&M Organics Premium Organic Compost

              R&M Organics Premium Organic Compost
              R&M Organics Premium Organic Compost
              Pros
              • Rich in nutrients
              • Easy to apply
              Cons
              • Pricey

              You can't withstand the smelly cow manure of the product above but you expect the similar effect, right?

              If so, just use the odor-free R&M Organics Premium Organic Compost. Although it is also made from dairy cow manure, this product doesn't emit an unpleasant smell. The compost is cured within a few weeks, so it burns out all the odors and bad bacteria.

              R&M Organics Premium Organic Compost Specifications

              Size

              8.8 L

              Form

              Powder

              Coverage

              0.31 cu ft

              Highlight Features

              100% Organic

              Moisture Retaining

              All-Purpose Fertilizer

              Verdict

              The R&M Organics Premium Organic Compost doesn't emit an unpleasant smell, but it's as effective as other smelly products.

              Compost And Manure Combo: Michigan Peat Wholly Cow Compost and Manure

              Michigan Peat Wholly Cow Compost and Manure
              Michigan Peat Wholly Cow Compost and Manure
              Pros
              • Nutritious
              • Lightweight
              Cons
              • Low smell

              Although compost and manure have many similar features, each of them comes with their own unique features. If you want to have both worlds, you can choose the Michigan Peat Wholly Cow Compost and Manure that is a combination of natural horticultural peat and compost animal manure.

              Michigan Peat Wholly Cow Compost and Manure Specifications

              Size

              40-Quart

              Form

              Powder

              Ingredients

              Naturally horticultural peat and compost animal manure

              Highlight Features

              Wholly cow compost and manure

              Uniform consistency

              Odor-free

              Verdict

              Because of the compost and manure combo, the Michigan Peat Wholly Cow Compost and Manure has many benefits for growing roses.

              Easy To Apply: GS Plant Foods Liquid Compost

              GS Plant Foods Liquid Compost
              GS Plant Foods Liquid Compost
              Pros
              • Good at amending the soil
              • Great price
              Cons
              • Bad smell

              Don't you know how to apply a compost? Are you too lazy to use a complicated product?

              If so, choose an easy-to-apply solution like the GS Plant Foods Liquid Compost. Depending on each specific case, you mix 2-4 ounces of the product with a gallon of water, then spray the mixture into your plants through a spray bottle or a watering can.

              Note: one gallon of this mix is much enough to cover around 100 sq ft.

              GS Plant Foods Liquid Compost Specifications

              Size

              1 gallon

              Form

              Liquid

              Highlight Features

              Organic super fertilizer

              All-purpose plant food

              Verdict

              It takes less time and effort on your part to apply the GS Plant Foods Liquid Compost on your roses.

              Best For Larger Roses: Charlie's Compost

              Charlie's Compost
              Charlie's Compost
              Pros
              • Not strong smell
              • More versatile
              Cons
              • Not cheap

              The more nutrients the compost can provide, the larger the roses are. Thus, if you want your roses to grow larger and bloom more beautifully, choose a compost with a high level of nutrients like Charlie's Compost. Some of its ingredients include antibiotic free chicken manure, vegetarian, biochar, organic grasses, and organic crop residue.

              Charlie's Compost Specifications

              Size

              10 lbs

              Form

              Powder

              Ingredients

              Chicken manure, cornstalks, straw, forest products, hay, clay, and beneficial microbe inoculants

              Coverage


              Highlight Features

              Chicken manure.

              Verdict

              Charlie's Compost helps your roses grow larger with more beautiful flowers and great blooms.

              How To Choose The Best Compost For Roses?

              What Is The Best Type Of Compost For Roses?

              Mushroom Compost

              If you need to amend the soil before growing roses, mushroom compost is a splendid choice. However, this type contains a high amount of soluble salts that can prevent seed germination and burn seedlings and sensitive plants.

              Thus, you can apply mushroom compost on established roses, not smaller rose plants.

              Ericaceous Compost

              Roses love acidic soil, so it will also like Ericaceous compost. As the name suggests, this compost type is good at growing Ericaceae-family plants that prefer slightly acidic soil.

              If your soil is naturally on the alkaline side, this type of compost can adjust the pH of the soil to be pretty acidic to create an ideal environment for growing roses.

              Potting Compost

              Roses prefer growing in a loamy soil texture that doesn't dry out too fast and retain too much water. If you choose a compost that dries too fast and keeps the roots wet, it's hard for flowers to flourish. Meanwhile, the potting compost has both benefits.

              However, you need to adjust the potting mix to suit growing roses by mixing it with ordinary garden compost in a 50:50 ratio.

              Composted Manure

              Composted manure that is properly aged is good for roses, but fresh manure isn’t an ideal choice. When nitrogen of the raw manure decomposes, the generated heat can burn the roots of the roses.

              Which Brands Make The Best Compost For Roses?

              Fafard

              Fafard is one of SunGro’s compost brands, specializing in organic gardening products. The common ingredients in Fafard composts include Canadian sphagnum peat moss, peat, forest products, peanut hull, processed softwood bark, seaweed and shrimp compost.

              FAQs

              Is compost or manure better for roses?

              According to Heirloom Roses, composted manure is better for roses, but it must be properly aged.

              Don't use fresh manure. When nitrogen decomposes, the generated heat will burn your roses' roots.

              Should I put compost around my roses?

              Don't apply the composted manure around your roses' roots. Instead, it's better to put it into the top 2 inches of soil to feed the roots.

              Can compost make roses grow bigger?

              Yes.

              Can compost make roses bloom more?

              Yes, but it requires you to apply the right compost. If you choose the wrong mix for your roses, their flowers may not bloom well.

              How long does compost for roses last?

              Compost for roses can last from 3 to 6 months. The specific answer depends on the compost composition and how you store your compost. For instance, a compost can last up to a year if you store it in a cool place.

              A well-balanced compost contains many micronutrients that will be slowly released up to one year.

              A homemade compost lasts 2 years because you can control its ingredients, adding more food to the compost pile from time to time, for example.

              Note: Although you can use old compost, it is less effective than new composts. For better effect, mix it with fresh organic materials that can reactivate the microbes.

              Or you can also use your old compost as a top dressing because mulching your expired compost can add some nutrients and retain the moisture in the soil.

              In case you have a large amount of compost and can't use it timely, store it to use later.

              How long can a store-bought compost last after opening?

              You can preserve bagged composts for up to 6 months, but the volume and microbial activity decrease significantly after one year.

              Conclusion

              Why should you choose compost for growing roses instead of using fertilizers? The best compost for roses can offer nutrients and improve the soil to create a perfect environment for rose growth.

              I’m Harry Ramos, who's crazy about all things green. I’m here to share some experience in my gardening adventure and how to choose the best products for your garden. Let's dig in, get our hands dirty, and celebrate the simple, earthy pleasures of the garden together!


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