Fertilizing Roses Everything You Need To Know

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Roses enchant every garden with their blossoms – if they are properly fertilized. When, how and with what best to fertilize roses, you can find out here.

Fertilizing roses: professional tips at the right time & procedure

In order for your roses to bloom splendidly, you should use the right fertilizer

In order for your rose ( Rosa ) to develop true picture book flowers that would do Sleeping Beauty credit, the delicate little plant has to expend a lot of energy. For this, the flowers of love need regular and sufficient nutrients, because the stores in the soil are quickly used up by the heavy eaters. So in order for you to make a colorful profit, you have to invest a little loving effort. Therefore, the regular supply of a suitable fertilizer is part of the professional care of a rose. You should also keep an eye on the ground under the rose. Its performance and maintenance determine, among other things, how well the nutrients are absorbed.

So that roses can come up with majestic blossoms, the plant invests an enormous amount of nutrients and assimilates from photosynthesis in its beguiling garb. The nutrient reserves in the pot as well as in the soil can quickly be exhausted. It is therefore up to you to regularly replenish the nutrient stores by adding fertilizers. So that your roses don’t just show their prickly side, we explain to you which fertilizer is best for roses and when to fertilize roses.

When is the best time to fertilize roses?

To get off to a good start, a rose is supplied with nutrients for the first time when it is planted in autumn. Simply add compost or our Plantura organic rose fertilizer to the excavation of the planting hole. This start-up fertilization becomes effective in the next spring, when your garden – including plants and soil organisms – wakes up again from its hibernation. In the meantime, the freshly planted garden queen has already taken root a little. It does not have to be fertilized again until June or July in order to be able to cope with the last flowers, the formation of the bright red rose hips and the preparation for the next winter.

Fertilizing roses: professional tips at the right time & procedure

Roses can be fertilized for the first time when they are planted in autumn [Photo: Sergey Mironov / Shutterstock.com]

Fertilize roses in the bed

The first fertilization of established existing plants in the bed takes place in spring between March and April. At this point in time, the rose is just sprouting with the strength of the previous year: it has stored sugar (assimilates) and nutrients in roots, stems and shoots. So that the effort is worthwhile, the nutrient supply should now also be optimal, because the reserves of the plant are of course limited. It is best to use a primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic rose fertilizer. This has a fast acting speed and a steady and long nutrient release. The second – and usually last – fertilization of the year takes place in June or July. Again you should choose an organic-mineral slow release fertilizer. A sufficiently high potassium content is important here, because potassium is extremely important for the frost tolerance of plants. After this date, the introduction of nitrogen is taboo in order not to hinder the important shoot closure – i.e. the lignification in autumn.

Fertilize roses in autumn

To get your roses ready for winter, the second fertilization appointment in June or July is sufficient in most cases. Autumn fertilization with a potash fertilizer at the end of August is only recommended in very cold, unprotected locations. Potassium acts as a kind of antifreeze in the vacuole of the plant cells: just like the salt in seawater prevents freezing, potassium is stored in the cells so that they are not destroyed by the formation of large ice crystals.

Summary: fertilize roses in the bed

  • Roses should be provided with an organic slow release fertilizer when they are planted.
  • Existing plants are fertilized twice a year: in March / April and in June / July.
  • Roses in cold winter locations can benefit from additional potassium fertilization in late summer.

When to fertilize roses in the pot?

Just like outdoor roses, potted roses outdoors are supplied with a long-term fertilizer when they are planted. The fertilization dates are generally the same for floribunda and pot roses if an organic or organic-mineral fertilizer is used. Because despite the lower substrate volume, a large amount of organic fertilizer can be fertilized “in reserve” without over-fertilization.

Fertilizing roses: professional tips at the right time & procedure

Fertilization with an organic slow-release fertilizer is also recommended in pots [Photo: allstars / Shutterstock.com]

If you want to use a mineral fertilizer without long-term effects, monthly fertilizers are necessary between March and July. In the case of potted roses that are in the room or that are wintered warm and light, fertilization can be carried out until September. Of course, fertilization with a long-term fertilizer is also possible in the pot. Supply your roses with this like the planted specimens two to three times during the year.

Summary: when to fertilize roses in pots?

  • Pot roses that overwinter outdoors are fertilized in the same way as outdoor roses.
  • Indoor potted roses can be fertilized until September.

How and with what to fertilize roses?

If you want to be on the safe side and don’t necessarily feel the urge to deal intensively with the nutritional needs of your roses, it is best to use a special rose fertilizer. This offers the prickly plants an ideal combination of nutrients. But you can get the best out of your roses even without special fertilizers. When choosing the fertilizer, you should make sure that the potassium content is higher than the nitrogen content. Because if the fertilizer is too nitrogen-heavy, your rose will grow taller in no time at all, but flower formation will fall by the wayside. In addition, roses need a relatively high proportion of phosphate in the fertilizer so that the flowers appear in full splendor and as numerous as possible.

Fertilizing roses: professional tips at the right time & procedure

Mineral liquid fertilizers and solid mineral fertilizers are hardly suitable for supplying woody plants [Photo: Syndy1 / Shutterstock.com]

But not only the nutrients it contains are important. The form of the presentation has a decisive influence on the effect of the fertilizer. You have the choice between mineral, organic, organic-mineral or bio-fertilizers – in addition there are the liquid fertilizers. Mineral liquid fertilizers and solid mineral fertilizers such as blue corn are actually hardly suitable for supplying woody plants. The extremely fast and brief release of nutrients leads to intermittent growth and roses that are prone to pests, frost and drought. As in many cases, you should also use an organic slow release fertilizer here. This has the following advantages for you:

  • Natural long-term effect and flowing release, which ensures natural and even plant growth.
  • Soil care, humus regeneration and thus increasing soil quality, which is very important for roses. In addition, entry of important micronutrient elements.
  • The production saves resources and the application protects your garden, your pets and also your plants.

A uniform long-term effect is particularly important with trees and shrubs. Our Plantura organic rose fertilizer offers a natural long-term effect with an NPK ratio of 4-2-7. In this way, your noble plants are sustainably supplied in terms of time and ecology. In comparison to mineral fertilizers, valuable resources are saved during production.

Please note that different rose varieties also have different demands on the soil pH. While most varieties prefer a pH of 6.5 to 7.5, others love a more acidic or even alkaline soil. Those who like it acidic do not tolerate fertilization with lime and calcium chlorosis can occur very quickly. This is due to an iron deficiency, which is caused by a lower availability of iron in the soil on the one hand and the lack of an effective absorption strategy for the rose on the other. Those roses that love an alkaline soil pH have better uptake strategies for iron and reward lime with better growth.

Fertilizing roses: professional tips at the right time & procedure

The Plantura organic rose fertilizer ensures a sustainable supply of nutrients

You can find more information on the composition and mode of action of rose fertilizers in our special article.

Fertilize roses properly: Instructions for ideal application

Just as people have to find the right balance in their diet, it is also with our photosynthesis-driven favorites. So that your roses can grow into vital splendid specimens in a balanced nutrient environment, you should pay attention to the correct dosage of fertilizer. Therefore, we have put together a small guide for you on the correct application of our Plantura organic rose fertilizer:

  1. The perfect time to fertilize is in the evening. Loosen the soil superficially so as not to destroy roots.
  2. Then the right amount of our Plantura organic rose fertilizer is distributed around the rose. You can use a drinking glass to measure the correct amounts: 0.2 liters correspond to about 130 grams of fertilizer. Consider the expansion of the root system: nutrients can mainly be absorbed with the finest branches of the roots – i.e. a little away from the rootstock.
  3. Work in the fertilizer granulate a little and then water extensively.
  4. The correct fertilization times and dosages can be found in the table below.
Fertilization time Dosage recommendation
When replanting 100 – 150 grams / m2 / per planting hole
Fertilization date 1 (March / April) 80 – 120 grams / m2 or 60 grams / plant
Fertilization date 2 (June / July) 80 – 120 grams / m2 or 60 grams / plant

Tip: You can also mix our Plantura organic rose fertilizer as a liquid fertilizer for a quick start in spring. So it is brought in directly with a lot of water, which is so important for the release of the nutrients.

Fertilize roses with minerals: blue grain and Co.

Depending on their flowering behavior, roses have to invest a lot of energy in their flowering either once a year or even over a long flowering period. The magnificent flower pile costs the plants a lot of strength. Mineral fertilizers have the disadvantage that they work quickly, but not for a long time. For you as a user, this means that you must not forget any fertilizer or apply it at the wrong time – otherwise malnutrition or incorrect fertilization with fertilizer damage can result.

Fertilizing roses: professional tips at the right time & procedure

The wrong use of mineral fertilizers quickly leads to fertilizer damage [Photo: NinaMalyna / Shutterstock.com]

Too much nitrogen leads to increased vegetative growth – a lot of leaves and few flowers can be the result. Not to mention the negative effects on winter hardiness, soil quality and soil life. Organic fertilizers or organic-mineral fertilizers are better suited because of the lower risk of overfertilization and more uniform supply, preferably in organic quality.

Fertilize roses with home remedies such as coffee grounds and the like

Fertilizing the location of a rose with a little acidic coffee grounds can be beneficial for soil structure and humus content. The amount is decisive here: Giving four spoons of dried coffee grounds to a rose twice a year is completely harmless and brings in a little extra nitrogen. For lime-tolerant or lime-loving varieties, finely ground eggshells or small amounts of clean wood ash can be an advantage as a fertilizer in order to achieve the right pH value and at the same time to fertilize calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. A little tip for a lush bloom is shredded banana peel. These are rich in phosphate compounds and potassium.

We have summarized for you why special rose fertilizers are useful.

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