Fertiliser for Roses

Everyone will have something different they recommend. We've grown roses for cut flowers and for plant sales in pots and we've grown them in the ground. Each has it's own unique set of requirements and some of that will depend on the soil type.  We'll cover that in another article. 

This is the recipe we use in the nursery for our pots that you see on display. 

I like to toughen up my roses. I don't want them "speed grown". So what do I mean by that. It's very easy to grow a rose quickly and have it covered in flowers and shiny green leaves on display and looking wonderful. Sorry; we don't do that. Reason being I want that rose to live a good and happy life. It's not going to do that if it's force flowered too early and has lots of top growth to support before it's roots have had time to really take hold. In pots it's always good to be mindful of the size of the root system and the size of the top and keep them in balance. This may mean upsizing the pot or downsizing the top by pruning even at the sacrifice of some flowers. It is actually best to cut the flowers and take them off a young plant because they will quickly deplete the energy of the plant. Cut the stems just above a leaf bud that faces the direction you want it to grow, and you'll be pruning at the same time.  (More on that in another article too. If you come to the nursery I will happily show you how. :)

Fertiliser for the Pots 

This is calulated for approx 180 diam or 160 sqare pot. Multiply it out if the pot is bigger.

Initially when we plant we use potting mix and water only... no fertiliser

Until the roots are well established only water and be generous without sopping. Make sure the mix is damp, not dry, not wet at the base of the plant where the roots are. 

To establish the plant after this initial period:

1 dsp of seamungus pellets

1 tsp of calcium nitrate

1 tsp of magnesium sulphate (epsom salts)

WATER IN WELL!!

You can also use blood and bone if you don't have a dog that likes to eat it! In soil if you dig blood and bone and old manure well into the soil and sit for a few weeks before planting the roses are going to love you! So will the dog so water it in well. 

I don't like commercial rose fertilisers at this stage. Save those for later when the plants are strong and ready to carry flowers. 

Now.. the bush has grown and we're ready to make those beautiful flowers: 

There are lots of different brands with lots of different results. I like Bloom Booster, and a few others similar but I've found the best results with seamungus liquid and condies crystals ( potassium permanganate) that we put through our fertigation. For home you can mix that in a bucket or watering can. Condies crystals you used to be able to buy from chemist shops in a little bottle. Has all sorts of beneficial uses. "A touch" and I do mean "a touch" on the tip of your finger (put gloves on; it stains) to a 9 litre bucket of water. Potassium will burn if over done. Banana peels are another good source of potassium. 

Happy Gardening!

 A simple recipe that won't harm the beneficial insects.

Always spray just on nightfall. Generally the air will be more still, a lot of beneficials are safely home in bed and the sun won't cause the foliar to burn. 

DO NOT add more to make it better. More often to make it better. Be mindful too much of a good thing will cause burning of the roots and leaves. 

This spray is used to both protect the plant from pests and diseases and also to fertilise by absorbtion through the leaves. 

60 ml of eco oil

40 ml of seamungus liquid

30 ml of Go Go Juice

All available at our nursery

MIx into 10 litres of Water. 

Happy Gardening!