• Wear gloves when working with roses to protect your hands from the thornsJupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
  
  Roses are a national, favorite flower, loved for their attractive flowers and scents. They can be grown as specimen shrubs and climbers or massed together in a border for a stunning display. As more cultivars are introduced every year, there is a rose suited for every garden in the country, and Huntsville, Alabama, is no exception. Mulching beneath your roses has many benefits as well as making the garden attractive.
  
  

When And Why To Mulch

• The Alabama Cooperative Extension System recommends that roses be planted from November to March in Huntsville, Alabama. Container grown roses may be planted until the end of May. After planting, mulch roses to conserve moisture, deter weeds and cool the soil. Keeping the soil cool is important during hot summer days in Huntsville. Mulch also protects the plant from fungal spores that can splash onto the rose when it rains.
  
  

Types Of Mulch

• In Huntsville, Alabama, inorganic mulches such as ground up tires contribute nothing to soil fertilization and should be avoided. Organic mulches such as shredded bark, cocoa bean hulls and wood chips are better choices, but they use up soil nitrogen as they decompose. Roses will need extra fertilization to ensure they have enough nitrogen until the mulch adds its own nitrogen to the soil through decomposition. Organic compost is best.
  
  

How To Mulch

• Mulch to a depth of 3 to 4 inches around the base of the plant, extending it out to the drip line, at planting time. Reapply mulch every December. Landscape fabric can be used beneath mulch if weeds are a problem.