Does anyone have experience/knowledge with fresh cement damaging/killing roses planted nearby? I have heard the cement raises soil alkalinity to point where it will kill roses nearby. Is there a way to satisfactorily amend the soil so this doesn't happen, and does anyone know if a certain distance is advised between the fresh cement and the roses?

Rosemary ...

I cannot answer your question about fresh cement changing soil ph, but I can tell you that roses planted near cement walkways are subject to reflected heat. Not good.

Smiles,
Lyn

Also masonry debris in the soil will raise the pH. I don't know about nearby fresh cement, though.

Thank you, everyone. Our redwood fence blew over after one of the recent windstorms and cement is being used in the postholes, and I had been told it can kill roses planted nearby. I had been thinking of growing some climbers there.

I have other roses growing near old cement, Lyn. Maybe why I have had to replace my roses trees along a cement walkway.. My cutting rose garden in another area along a cement walkway behind the roses is doing fine--most are--but when I had a soil test done, the pH was 7.0 while the rest of my yard is 6.5 pH. Maybe the cement walkway has something to do with the higher pH.

Somewhere on Internet I read that fresh cement can raise the ph somewhat, but as it ages this effect disappears? You could try acidifying the soil a bit until the cement-and the roses-mature.