Can’t-Fail Rose Diet


Rose Diet: An Aggressive Feeding Program For
Established Rosebushes

Plants should be well mulched with blends of organic materials such as compost, wood shavings and aged manure (chicken and turkey are best, but steer will do). Mulch is not only nutritious on its own, it provides the perfect medium over which concentrated fertilizers should be applied.


Suggested feeding schedule is for modern roses only – those that repeat their bloom.

March/April

Apply Chelated Iron in early Spring

1st week – Apply One of the following water-soluble fertilizer concentrated in nitrogen along drip line:

31-0-0 ( slow-release formula)

33.5-0-0 (ammonium nitrate),

21-0- 0 (ammonium sulfate)

15.5-0-0 (calcium nitrate).

3rd week – Apply 2/3 cup Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate) per bush

Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) are activators for plant enzymes essential to the growth process.

May/June

1st week apply granular, water-soluble, balanced fertilizers – 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 fertilizer

3rd week apply ½ cup Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate) per bush

July/August

1st week apply granular, water-soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer

3rd week apply fish emulsion- 1 teaspoon per gallon. RATE: 2 gals per bush

September/October

1st week apply granular, water-soluble 0-10-10 fertilizer

3rd week apply fish emulsion- 1 teaspoon per gallon. RATE: 2 gals per bush

Don’t apply anything after Halloween.

 

Summarized from an Article by Rose authority: Rayford Reddell, owner of Garden Valley Ranch Nursery Petaluma CA., Article 2003, San Francisco Chronicle

Read full article here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/03/22/HO47251.DTL#ixzz1Eeodxsnm