Soil for roses: there is nothing you cannot imagine, and nothing you cannot do

There are many kinds of soil, and there are just as many choices of potting soil for growing roses: nutrient soil, garden soil, substrate soil, and all sorts of creative homemade mixes. There is nothing you cannot imagine, and nothing us flower lovers cannot do! Although soil is common, once flower lovers mix in different materials it becomes unique, and it is often exactly these unique potting soils that tie flower lovers' brains in knots: will it work or not?

Just recently, another flower lover found leaf mold soil from a bamboo grove, but there was nowhere left to get garden soil, so he took silt sand from the riverside. When he was collecting it he was quite pleased with himself, thinking he had struck treasure, but once he got it home things were not that simple. He started worrying about whether silt sand could be used to grow roses, and whether it could really replace soil.

I have to say, this flower lover's approach was really on point. After bringing the soil home he first spread it out in the sun to dry, then went around collecting earthworm castings. Earthworm castings mostly gather under the trees in nurseries, all small saplings, and the spots beside them with some leaf litter yield about half a bucket. Collecting this is not as tiring as you would imagine, easily done in under ten minutes.

This kind of silt sand contains some mud, all fairly fine, and it feels very soft when pinched in the hand, which is why people often call it silt mud, but strictly speaking it is still sand, with extremely fine grains. Anything planted in it grows like crazy. In rural areas many people also grow vegetables in this kind of ground, basically without needing to fertilize; once planted there is no need to tend it, and the vegetables still grow plump and lush.

Although it cannot be generalized, by category it should also have some effect on roses. Even if it is not as obvious as with crops, at least there should not be major problems. If any flower lovers are worried about insufficient nutrients, they might as well apply a rose-specific organic liquid fertilizer once every half month, diluted 500 times and watered at the roots; the nutrients will absolutely satisfy the rose's characteristic love of heavy feeding.

If flower lovers lack a medium that drains and breathes well, river sand or silt sand can be used as a substitute. It drains very well, but if it dries out completely it will cake somewhat. This kind of "caking" is different from the so-called caking of ordinary soil types. Ordinary caking has extremely poor water- and fertilizer-holding capacity; all the common loose, fertile soils will cake when dry. Silt sand is different: its sandy loam structure is good, and even when it cakes it still has aeration, so there is nothing to fear at all. Moreover, when we grow roses we will not let the soil stay dry all the time; watering when it is half dry will not cause problems.

But on the whole, silt sand is still an excellent soil type for growing roses, much better than garden soil. In silt sand, besides adding earthworm castings you can also add some fermented chicken manure, or mix in a bit of humus fertilizer; the nutrients are complete, and there is no fear of waterlogging.

Because buying soil is also very expensive, especially nutrient soil, and adding substrate makes it even more expensive. If you mix it yourself, these materials are also a considerable expense. Especially for flower lovers preparing to build a garden, at this rate it will absolutely cost you an arm and a leg. Since you cannot afford to buy it, then just get to work digging. Around small cities it is still quite convenient to get some soil. To all you flower lovers in big cities, I well understand the hardship of getting soil, but forgive me, I cannot help you!