Feeding
Your
Roses
Roses
are very hungry
plants.
Feeding your roses the basic
needs
like food, water and a great spot for root growth will ensure the
success
of your roses. How well they survive depends on how much of
these
three things
they receive.
There are many people
who are successful at growing roses,
that can give you information on how to grow them. First learn how
water and soil feeds your plants. There are some great books on
gardening that can give you
helpful information. Also find successful
rose gardeners and talk with them about their secrets, many
rose
gardeners enjoy talking about their gardens. They can give you hints,
some techniques and tricks they use each year to get beautiful
roses. 
Always remember the
needs of your roses: food, water and
location. Also watch your roses they will let you know when there is a
problem. Finding out what that problem is will come with time and
experience.
Water
Roses need water, they
love it in fact. Water your roses
often, they are needy plants. They should get one inch of water, each
week during the first three to four weeks after planting. About the
fourth week after planting start soaking your rose beds
every two
weeks. This should be done in the morning for the best results. When
there is little rain or no rain at all, water your roses. Roses need
lots of hydration to stay healthy. Be sure your roses are not
standing in water for a long period of time, this will rot their roots.
Soil that drains well is the best. Also consistent soil moisture is
very important. Letting the soil get to dry between watering will have
an affect on rose plant
growth and the production of blooms. In
areas
of the country that are arid using drip irrigation should be considered.
Food
Roses needs the right
amount of basic nutrients to be
capable of reaching their full blooming potential. You can begin
fertilizing your roses at about three months. Below is a guide to help
you with a feeding program.
Step
1: Fertilizers Understanding Them
In a well balanced
fertilizer the basic ingredients are:
nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. They are usually listed on
fertilizer bags and labels as 5-5-5. These are what your plants need
for life. Nitrogen is
what gives your plants green new
growth. Phosphorous
promotes photosynthesis, flower
production, and root growth. Potassium
strengthens canes,
improves vigor and increases winter hardiness. Many rose growers
recommend using slow or time releasing organic fertilizers so your
roses do not burn. Many fertilizers with a higher nutrient content like
20-20-20 are too much for roses. These can cause your rose leaves to
turn brown and fall off.
Step
2: Fertilizer Selection
Selecting a fertilizer
can be a challenge. Before starting
to fertilize, you need to select a fertilizer with the best
ingredients.
Below are some fertilizers that are well recommended for use:
1. Organic
or natural based fertilizer:
Get one that is granular and has a nutrient ratio that is well
balanced, with single numbers like 5-5-5. This will provide the
building blocks your plants need for growth and blooms. One thing to
remember is to stay away from ingredients that have manufactured
chemicals. They will harm your plants and do little to build your soil.
2. Bone
Meal: A great way to help
promote
healthy blooms.
3. Fish
or Kelp liquid fertilizer:
Fish is
a great source of nitrogen and kelp liquid helps to add trace
minerals.
4.
Alfalfa meal: Alfalfa
promotes and
conditions the soil for plant growth.
5. Epsom
salts: Promotes the
activity of
enzyme in soil. It also causes basal breaks, the places where your
roses will bloom.
6. Compost:
Adds nutrients and organic
matter that improve soil life. This helps plant roots
to absorb the nutrients.
Step
3. Scheduled Feedings
A good way to apply
fertilizers is just after it has rained,
this helps the fertilizer to move down through the soil and get to the
plants roots.
1.
First Feeding (Spring)
When spring arrives,
your roses need fertilizer for
their first feeding. Roses require quit a lot of nutrients to maintain
healthy growth and flowering. Fertilizers should be placed around the
outside of the plant, one to two feet away. Carefully pull back any
mulch and place the fertilizers on the list into the first
inch
of the soil surface. Take care not to damage the tender roots that
maybe at the surface of the soil.
Spring feeding each
plant:
1. 1/4 c. Epsom salts
2. 1/2 c. bone meal
3. 1 or 2 c. granular
organic fertilizer
4. 1/2 c. alfalfa
meal
5. 1-3 shovels of
compost. Put the compost on top of the
others. Compost serves as a mulch, which helps maintain moisture, stops
weeds and keeps the temperature of the soil from getting to hot.
2.
Monthly Feeding (Summer)
Roses need to be fed
one time a month during seasonal
growing . Make sure you stop feeding your roses in early Autumn or at
least four to six weeks prier to the first annual frost date. If you
fertilize to long roses will produce new growth that can be harmed by
the cold.
After their feeding in
the Spring, about a month, give your
roses a cup of dry fertilizer or use fish/kelp liquid fertilizer about
one gallon one time a month through their seasonal growing. Remember
stop feeding 4 to 6 weeks prier to the first frost. This stops new
growth from being damaged by frost. Mix the dry fertilizer
into
the first inch of the soil. Add a shovel full of compost to
the
bottom of your plant. Your roses will love that.
Soil
Knowing a little about
soil will help you understand that
soil is alive with microbes to earthworms. These creatures help break
down the nutrients in the soil, which in turn feeds the plants. Plenty
of water and food is the key to healthier soil. Adding organic matter,
like compost to the soil will increase your soils health.
Also understanding the pH
of your soil in
your rose garden,
is it acidic, alkaline or neutral? Nutrients are affected by the pH in
your soil as it moves through it to the plants. Roses will thrive on a
pH balance between 5.5 to 7.0.
If your roses are
showing signs of yellowing and you have
given them the food and water they need, check the pH levels in your
soil. If the nutrients in the soil have a pH level that is
neutral
this makes iron easily available to your plants. When the soil becomes
to alkaline or acidic, this will bind the iron and your plants will be
unable to receive it, causing the yellowing. To fix the pH level when
it is acidic adding some lime will help and adding sulfur when it is
alkaline. To get information on getting your soil checked contact your
county extension office. They will be able to tell you how and where to
get the soil corrected.
Pruning
Always make sure your
pruning shears are sharp before you
prune. Once your roses have established themselves, routine maintenance
is a plus. In the spring prune any dead canes. First cut out any dead
or damaged branches. Dead canes are dry looking on the inside
and have turned brown. Prune the dead canes back until you see green on
the
inside. Most old garden and shrub roses do not need to be
pruned
more than one time a year.
You can also prune to
control the shape of your
roses. Cut
your roses back about one third to a half,
depending on
the height you want them. Cut just above the outward facing buds, these
are on the outside of the bush, cutting here will encourage the bud to
grow upward making for better shape and air circulation for
your roses .
Prune climbing roses
with a bit of caution, they are prone to
overlap their branches and you do not want to cut the wrong ones.
After
about five to six years, many shrub roses will bloom less. This
maybe
due to large branches, prune back the plant at the top about 1/3
and
eliminate some of the biggest branches. Doing this makes your
roses
grow new branches and produce lots of blooms. Also deadhead
your
roses, this means to pull off any spent blooms, which will encourage
more to be produced.
Mulching
Mulching will help to
keep your maintenance down. Your roses
will need less weeding, watering and have fewer rose
diseases.
Organic mulch like pine needles, wood chips, grass clippings and other
biodegradable materials are the best, when placed about one to two
inches thick at the base of your plants. This provides extra needed
heat during the winter
months to protect your roses.
Want to learn more
about feeding your rose plants? Visit
this web site at: http://www.hometips.com/feeding-roses.html
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