| Feeding your roses, just like watering, is a very | | | | on foliage. Do not spray fertilizers when the |
| important aspect of rose gardening. Seek out | | | | temperature is soaring to avoid leaf burn. In |
| relevant and practical rose gardening advice on | | | | spite of precautions, if your rose bush shows |
| fertilizing your roses even before you start | | | | signs of leaf burn, rake out the fertilized layer of |
| planting. Your roses need three essential natural | | | | soil and water deeply. Water can flush out the |
| elements, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, to | | | | excessive salts from the soil and restore |
| grow to their full potential. Nitrogen encourages | | | | balance. |
| vigorous growth of foliage and canes. Phosphorus | | | | Fertilizing at the time of planting can help your |
| provides increased immunity to diseases. | | | | rose bush sprout new growth quicker than |
| Potassium provides assistance in reproduction and | | | | otherwise. In spring, you will need to fertilize for |
| development of sturdy roots. A good fertilizer | | | | at least two weeks. In summer, fertilizing once in |
| contains these three natural elements along with | | | | two weeks with a liquid fertilizer is sufficient. |
| calcium, magnesium, in small quantities, and trace | | | | Remember that young plants do not need |
| elements of manganese, iron, and boron. | | | | fertilizing until after their first bloom. Stop fertilizing |
| While synthetic fertilizers are manmade from | | | | a month and a half ahead of frost. Do not |
| petroleum and its by-products, organic fertilizers | | | | fertilize in fall. |
| are obtained from decomposed fish, bone, | | | | You need to frequently fertilize large shrub roses, |
| seaweed, dried banana peels, manure, canola | | | | climbers, and old garden roses, while hybrid teas |
| pellets, etc. You will need to apply synthetic | | | | don't require much feeding. Use half the quantity |
| fertilizers frequently, as they do not last very | | | | of fertilizer for miniature roses. |
| long. Organic fertilizers slowly break down and | | | | Leaves with brown or purple edges show a |
| release nutrients into the soil over a period making | | | | definite lack of potassium while yellowed leaves |
| it a better choice. | | | | are a sure sign of lack of iron or excessive |
| You have to guard against over-fertilizing your | | | | calcium. You know it's time to feed your roses if |
| roses. Excessive nitrogen can lead to 'leaf burn' or | | | | you notice any of these symptoms. |
| 'leaf scorch' causing leaves to turn brown or | | | | You can use various devices ranging from your |
| yellow and wither away. In extreme cases, your | | | | own hand to a submersible pump to fertilize your |
| plant could also die if you don't follow instructions | | | | roses. The criterion for determining what would |
| carefully. | | | | work best for your garden is simply the size of |
| Sprinkle dry fertilizer on moist soil at the base of | | | | your garden. Few roses mean you can sprinkle or |
| the plant after removing the top layer of mulch. | | | | spray the fertilizer. If you have more than fifty |
| Gently spread the fertilizer with a rake. Cover | | | | roses, you will find that using a siphon device or |
| with mulch and water thoroughly. Mix liquid | | | | submersible pump drastically cuts the time you |
| fertilizers carefully as per the instructions on the | | | | spend on fertilizing your roses. |
| label. Spray at the base of the plant and directly | | | | |