Fertilizing Roses
A simple plan for a healthy rose bed.

The key to fertilizing roses is a rich, well fed soil and plenty of water. Unfortunately, few soils are naturally well fertilized, and few of us really know what roses require. Some of us go for the box of "Rose Food" hoping it's the magic multi-vitamin, but the chances are we don't even read the box to find out what's really in it!

Actually, fertilizer is a variety of elements, suspended in water which is available to enter the plant through roots or leaves. The cycle is simple. Leaves and insects eating plants fall to the soil, rot and provide food for the plant again.

Humans however interrup this cycle because little is allowed to go back into the soil. We deadhead, remove weeds and clean up dropped leaves, so our soil is not replenished naturally. The rose grower has to return these natural elements to the soil. Fertilizing roses is a process of maintaining a soil balance.

The natural elements in chemical form are nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. (N, P, and K). Minor elements include calcium, magnesium and the trace elements of boron, iron, manganese and a several others.

To much of anything can be harmful but a lack of any one thing can show up as a deficiency. Lack of potassium, for example, shows up as leaves with brown or purple edges, yellowing leaves as a lack of iron or to much calcium.

When you look at a box of "Rose Food", look at the label for three numbers; 6-8-6 for example. This box contains 6% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus and 6% potassium or 20% fertilizer elements and 80% filler; sand, clay, ground up farm waste, whatever!

The nitrogen gives stronger stems and greener foliage, phospherous helps the reproduction system and therefore helps with blooms and hips, and potassium helps in root and stem development.

Often the label will also mention small quantities of other minerals in the mix.

Fertilizers are basically chemical or organic, and a combination of both works best for your rose bed. Organic fertilizer is anything derived from formerly living plants or animal matter. Bonemeal, green sand, kelp, fish pellets, canola pellets, alfalfa, or the various composted manures.

Organics break down slowly and enrich the soil, while chemical fertilizers, especially soluble ones, react quite quickly. Normal powder fertilizers can take up to three months to start working! Fertilizing roses needs to include a combination of materials spread over a period of time.

[Please see our other article on "Organic Fertilizers" which should be consulted in tandem with this one.]

Go to Organic Rose Fertilizer Page. (Click Here)


When to apply? Build up the well rotted compost on the rose beds for the winter, level out in spring as a mulch and leave untill the next fall as a fertilizing agent. Apply a small handful of chemical fertilizer to each plant, as the soil warms up in the spring and again in mid July after the first blooms fade. Do not apply any more. Easy Eh?

Well not exactly because there is the question of organics and the making of organic fertilizers. It is possible to have a complete and successful fertilizing program without the chemical fertilizers.

Check out our article on organic fertilizers...............

www.rose-works.com helping you get the most from your rose.

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