A high-quality organic fish fertiliser (such as Charlie Carp) in either a liquid or pellet form is perfect to provide these nutrients to the plant. Charlie Carp is a perfect fit for roses as it can also be mixed with other green products such as Eco-Oil and Eco-Fungicide, providing defence against pests and diseases.
It's a rich source of seaweed, nutrients, trace elements and natural composts to revitalize soil health and promote healthy growth in all roses and flowering plants.
FOR ESTABLISHED ROSES:
Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer or top dress with alfalfa meal (5-1-2) for the first application to jump-start leaf development, along with epsom salts to encourage new cane development and lusher growth. Add a slow-release fertilizer when shoots are 4 to 5 inches long.
A regular, generous application of well rotted animal manure or compost and blood and bone are perfect for roses. Avoid manure from animals that eat meat and use chicken manure sparingly - as these are too acidic for roses.
You can certainly apply the Dynamic Lifter Pellets to your roses. This product can be used on all garden plants and it can be applied every 6 - 8 weeks during the growing season.
According to the Epsom Salt Industry Council (really, there is such a thing) the magnesium and sulphur in their product makes plants grow bushier, boosts flower and chlorophyll production, helps the plant take up nitrogen, and aids seed germination.
Dynamic Lifter is a more balanced fertiliser when compared to Blood & Bone. While Dynamic Lifter has a poultry manure base and other added ingredients, Blood & Bone is 65% meat meal and contains cow manure. Essentially this means that the nutrient ratios of each product are different.
Taking this information, you should apply aged manure to your roses at least three months prior to full growth – late winter/early spring.
For your mulch material we recommend using a good quality garden compost, composted straw or bark, or well rotted manure from a local farm (manure must be at least 2 years old, as fresh manure can burn the roots of your roses).
While I prefer organics, fertilizers like Osmocote work great as well. They key is these fertilizers put out nutrients at a slow pace over several months. I've learned from experience that garden roses much prefer that kind of slow, lazy feeding during the season.
The Sin: Overfertilizing. The common misconception is that more fertilizer=more blooms, but roses only need so much fertilizer, and adding too much synthetic fertilizer can kill natural soil bacteria and/or lead to salt burn, which can both harm your plant.
Feeding your roses twice a year will encourage strong, healthy growth and abundant flowering. It's a relatively quick and simple task, yet is one of the most beneficial jobs you can do to ensure that your roses are at their most healthy and floriferous when summer arrives.
Insecticidal soaps may provide control of a variety of insect and mite pests of roses including aphids, thrips, scales and the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae).
Seasol is a specially formulated seaweed extract. It's a mixture of Bull Kelp, Chile Bull Kelp and Knotted Kelp. What is this? Seasol is not, strictly speaking, a fertiliser because it contains only low levels of nitrogen and phosphorus.
Pine needles are therefore good for acid loving plants such as Rhododendrons, Roses, Azaleas, Hydrangeas, etc. When you mulch roses, make sure to replace the mulch early in spring, as disease causing fungal spores over winter on the mulch.
mulch such as Sugar Cane, Mushroom, Lucerne, Hay or Straw are also recommended. Compost will provide nutrients to the soil whilst conserving water and keeping the roots cooler in summer. Mulching is best done in early spring and should be kept away from the base of the rose stem.
Lucerne hay is probably the best mulch for gardens with roses, fruit trees and vegetables. It provides extra nitrogen when decomposing.
Alternatively, you can use a good quality garden compost, composted straw or bark, or well rotted manure from a local farm (manure must be at least 2 years old, as fresh manure can burn the roots of your roses).
A good base of lots of cow manure when you plant your rose bush is extremely important. Composted cow manure delivers a large variety of nutrients to your rose bushes over several years. It is well worth it to spend a little more at the beginning to give your plants the nutrients they need for years to come.
Planting roses
Farmyard manure is ideal for this. Apply general fertiliser, at 100g per sq m (3oz per sq yd) over the surface of the planting area and fork it in to the same depth as the organic matter.
Apply Seasol regularly for several months before any fertilising is done. Once the tree is starting to respond to the Seasol treatment, apply an organic fertiliser such as Dynamic Lifter, blood and bone or slow-release tree tablets.