How to Fertilize Roses

This article will help you fertilize your roses.

Most important thing to remember when fertilizing is to find a product that works for you, your schedule, and your habits.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Water
• Fertilizer
• Soil

1. 

   Your region is important: Roses growing 10 months of the year in the South or West will need more fertilizer than roses that only grow for 3 or 4 months in the North.

2. Controlled-release fertilizers are the simplest to use. One or two applications and you're set for the season.

3. Organic fertilizers, such as an equal mix of alfalfa and cottonseed meals, are popular. Apply 10 cups of this mix around the base of each plant every 10 weeks, then cover it with mulch or compost. Many other organic fertilizers are available.

4. Liquid soluble fertilizers that dissolve in water are fast acting but require the most frequent applications, sometimes as often as weekly.

5. 
   rose foliage

   If your rose has lots foliage but, it hasn’t bloomed it may still be establishing itself and may well bloom later in the season. You might also want to fertilize it with a phosphorous source to promote bloom. However, if all your other roses are blooming and you’ve treated this one the same, then fertilizer may not be an issue. The lush growth indicates that this plant has had plenty of nitrogen, which can cause foliage growth at the expense of flowers. Could it have been fertilized inadvertently with a high-nitrogen lawn fertilizer?

6. Here's some basic info on fertilizer and nutrients that plants require. The 3 numbers on a fertilizer bag refer to the percentage of N (nitrogen), P (phosphorous), and K (potassium) in the bag. There are different formulations for different purposes.
   • nitrogen produces lush green growth
   • phosphorous helps strengthen stems and produce flowers
   • potassium keeps the root system healthy.

Tips & Warnings

• If you’re applying fertilizer to fruiting (e.g., tomatoes) or flowering plants, you're not as interested in the plant developing leaves as you are in it flowers and fruit, so you'd use a formulation lower in nitrogen and higher in phosphorous. Bone meal is an organic source of phosphorous.

Resources

• http://www.rose.org/

[kimmij]

on 6/23/2009 How to fertilize roses is wonderful! I have one that's just hanging in there...I think your tips can help. 5* "recommended" Thank You!!!

[grammastacie]

on 5/20/2009 great article, I love roses! 5* and recommend.