Question
I live in Illinois and use grass clippings and leaf mulch from my yard in the fall to protect my roses over the winter.  Should I let this mulch around my roses throughout the growing season to hold moisture and a steady fertilizer or will this do damage to the roots and cause disease?

Answer
Hi, Laura--by all means, leave your mulch--just break it up a little with a cultivator if it seems to be matting and not letting water through.  The nitrogen in your balanced fertilizer (13-13-13) or similar will take care of any that is used in the process of the mulch breaking down, and a handful of lime worked in around each bush will correct any over-acidity.

For more information, visit the American Rose Society at www.ars.org.  There are lots of friendly folks on the rose forums at GardenWeb.com, and you can always reach me here!
Margarett in Memphis