Sawdust worked into soil or laid on top

Question

I want to put some saw dust by my roses to see if I can get them to bloom. High nitrogen content. It doesn’t say in your article if you work the saw dust into the soil around the plant or place a layer on top around the plant. Thank you

Answer 1

Sawdust is used as a mulch on top of the soil. Mixing it into the soil will lead to nitrogen depletion, just the opposite of what you want. One concern I have is that roses are not heavy nitrogen users; indeed, too much nitrogen produces lots of leafy growth and fewer flowers. Nitrogen is primarily used on grass, perennials grown for their leaves and vegetables. If your roses bloomed in June, they may be resting and generating the energy it requires to send up the next surge of blooms.The following article addresses some of the reasons why roses don’t bloom. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/no-blooms-on-roses.htm