How to Make Liquid Rose Food

Roses require acidic fertilizer to grow and produce their best flowers. Many organic and chemical fertilizers are available on the market, but it is simple and much less expensive to create liquid rose food at home. An food-based rose food recipe is safer for the environment, pets and children. If you also use organic pest control methods, your rose petals will be safe to use in food recipes.

Things You'll Need

• 3 cups distilled water
• Microwave-safe measuring cup
• 2 tbsp. powdered fish
• 1 tsp. powdered seaweed
• 1 tbsp. Epsom salts
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. molasses
• 6 tbsp. coffee grounds

Instructions

1. Heat the distilled water in the microwave for 2 minutes.

2. Add the powdered fish and powdered seaweed, and stir until any clumps are dissolved. Powdered fish provides the rose plants with necessary nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Powdered seaweed adds additional potassium as well as natural plant hormones that aid the flowers in resisting disease.

3. Add the Epsom salts and stir until the salts are dissolved. Epsom salts supplies magnesium, which aids the plant in nutrient absorption.

4. Add the apple cider vinegar, molasses and coffee grounds and gently mix until all the clumps are gone. Apple cider vinegar adds acidity to the soil as well as trace minerals. Molasses gives the plants iron and sugar to encourage vigorous blooming. Coffee grounds increase and sustain a greater acidic pH and provide a minor caffeine boost for blooming.

5. Pour the liquid rose food onto the roses at sunset to avoid foliage burns. Pour the mixture over the leaves, and then water in the food that falls to the roots. This mixture provides enough food for four small rose plants or two large rose bushes.

References

• Rose Fertilizer
• Roses and Coffee Grounds