OrganicRoseCare.org

Your Organic Care Source

What Is The Best Rose Food?

by

Roses require a constant supply of nutrients throughout the growing season to operate at their best. Roses in good health bloom better and are also more resistant to insect and disease concerns.

Because there are so many different fertilizers, it can be challenging to figure out how and when to fertilize your roses. Here’s all you need to know about roses so you can get the most out of them.

Essential Nutrients For Roses

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are the three primary nutrients (macronutrients) that all plants require (K).

Nitrogen promotes leaf growth that is healthy and vigorous. Because a rose’s power to produce flowers is housed in its leaves, healthy foliage leads to more blooms. Inadequate nitrogen causes yellow leaves, stunted development, and smaller blooms, whereas too much nitrogen causes excessive foliage and fewer blossoms.

Phosphorus is essential for root development and floral production. Leaf drop, weak flower stalks, and buds that refuse to open can all be symptoms of a phosphorus deficiency.

When roses are stressed by insect and disease damage or extreme weather conditions, potassium, commonly known as potash, aids recovery.

Poorly developed buds, weak flower stems, and yellow leaf margins might indicate a potassium deficiency.

Other nutrients: Roses require micronutrients such as calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc to thrive.

Fertilizing Basics for Newly Planted Roses

  • Add organic stuff to the planting hole to make it more fertile.
  • For good root development, use a slow-release fertilizer and a handful of bone meal as directed on the container.
  • To encourage foliar and cane development, sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 cup Epsom salts around the base of the plant.
  • Continue to fertilize with a moderate fertilizer such as fish emulsion every 3 to 4 weeks.
  • Full-strength fertilizers can burn the leaf edges and root tips of a new plant if it dries out at all.

Fertilizing Basics for Established Roses

Begin fertilizing when new leaves grow in the early to mid-spring. I live in San Diego, CA. As I am writing this article in early winter, many of my roses grow new leaves and bloom.

Don’t let a chronological calendar override what you experience. If roses are growing, provide them with food regardless of the time of year.

To encourage fresh cane development and lusher growth, use a high-nitrogen fertilizer or top-dress with alfalfa meal (5-1-2) for the first application, coupled with Epsom salts. When the shoots are 4 to 5 inches long, apply a slow-release fertilizer.

Throughout the season: Depending on the fertilizer used, feed every 2 to 4 weeks during the growing season.

Again, where I live, I have growing seasons, and I have crazy growing seasons. I need to adapt to my roses and feed them according to their needs.

Late summer to early fall: Use a low-nitrogen slow-release fertilizer like a bone meal to encourage root growth and next year’s blossoms. Stop fertilizing 6 to 8 weeks before your average first frost date to avoid new growth being killed by frost.

Care for Container Roses

Because nutrients seep out more quickly due to more frequent watering, container roses may require more fertilization than those planted in the ground.

Additional Steps To Keep Your Roses Healthy

  • Correctly prune them
  • Aphids must be eradicated
  • It is critical to treat powdery mildew as soon as possible
  • Get rid of the black spot
  • Control Infestations of Japanese beetles
  • Improve the quality of your soil.

A Quick Primer For  Best Rose Fertilizer

Because organic fertilizers are generated from plant or animal debris, they are better for the environment. These offer various nutritional benefits and can be used individually or in combination as part of your rose-feeding program. Some also help to improve soil texture and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Synthetic, chemical, and artificial inorganic fertilizers are ready-to-use and convenient, more concentrated, and often less expensive than organic fertilizers.

These products, on the other hand, do not improve soil and have no sound long-term effects. Once you take that path, you kill many beneficial insects and microorganisms that contribute to the health of your roses.

A quick fix usually means a long-term headache.

Some contain insecticides, which should be avoided at all costs because they harm wildlife.

Organic Rose Fertilizers

There are a variety of pre-packaged organic fertilizers explicitly designed for roses that eliminate the guesswork from fertilizing. While they all include a well-balanced nutritional profile, some also include vital trace minerals and helpful microorganisms. Here are a couple of ideas:

Rose & Flower Fertilizer by Dr. Earth
Great Big Roses Espoma Rose-Tone Espoma Rose-Tone Espoma Rose-Tone Espoma Rose Rose Food (Organic)
Jobe’s Organics is a company that specializes in organic products. Spikes of Rose and Flower Fertilizer

Organic Modifications

Compost improves the general health of plants, making roses more resistant to pests and illnesses. Apply a 1- to 2-inch layer around the base of established rose plants each spring, or mix into the soil at planting time. Learning how to make both compost and compost tea can save you money and produce much better results.

Manure can be stirred into the soil when planting, or a one-inch layer of mulch can be applied to established rose plants in the spring. To avoid burning plants, make sure the manure is well-aged. Teas made from manure are also effective.

Bone meal can be applied in the spring to provide a slow-release effect during the growing season and again in the fall to encourage root growth and flower production the following year.

Cottonseed meal improves the general health of plants. For a slow-release action throughout the growing season, apply once or twice a year. The pH of the soil may need to be corrected with lime or another alkaline source because it is slightly acidic.

Kelp meal or seaweed extract can be used as part of a regular fertilization program to enhance root development and increase resistance to pests and diseases throughout the growing season.
Fish fertilizer stimulates lush development and can be used as an all-purpose fertilizer. Apply as the main fertilizer every three weeks during the growing season, usually in conjunction with kelp.

Alfalfa is one of the best organic amendments in terms of overall bloom output and vigorous growth.
For a boost of nitrogen, coffee grinds can be dusted around the base of rose bushes during the growing season; however, because coffee is acidic, soil pH may need to be adjusted with lime or another alkaline source.

Epsom salts encourage brighter blooms, healthier foliage, and faster cane development. Apply in the spring or when you’re getting ready to plant.

Start Seeds Indoors In 7 Steps

by

Few things compare to the feeling you get watching tiny sprouts push through the soil reaching for the light, especially when these sprouts are from the seeds you planted.

Organic Non-Gmo seeds cost so little that they match any gardening budget. They also give you control over the start of the planting, which means control over the end of the planting season. You can start later in the planting season and enjoy the harvest longer.

As usual, life places an obstacle in your path so that you can enjoy the results when you overcome it.

There are challenges in growing vegetables from seed. Here are seven steps to help you get a better harvest.

Step #1: Mak A list – Write down everything you want to grow this season. Daydream about the end product first without any limitations. Limitations will come later as you focus.

Once your garden is formed in your vision, do a reality check by looking at your space, the amount of time you can allocate to your seeds, and the cost of seeds and maintenance. Water in some areas is a factor. Some vegetables are thirstier than others.

Gardening Tip: Some spiritual paths refer to life as a garden. You are here to learn. Your physical garden is part of your life. Experiment with new ideas, new varieties, new combinations. Think of your garden as a personal development project. You’ll be amazed at how much you learn that applies to life.

Step #2: Gather Seeds and Supplies. Finding a reliable source of Non-GMO seeds is the first step. You’ll also need tweezers, plating containers, starter mix, and labels. A warming tray and light may also be necessary.

Gardening Tip: Label Everything. Seedlings and sometimes even young plants look alike. However, as they grow, their soil type, nutrition, and light needs may vary. You don’t want to have rows or even trays of seedlings without a clue of what they are. Label first so that you do not grieve later.

Step #3: Disinfect Supplies.  Many diseases stay on the containers and your other gardening tools like spade or pruner. Disinfect them before you use them.  Bleach, alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide are some common ways of disinfecting tools. I prefer hydrogen peroxide since it converts to water and oxygen.

Gardening Tip: One part food-grade 3% hydrogen peroxide combined with 11 parts water gives you an effective disinfectant.

Step #4: Drainage Maters. Your seeds need moister, not standing water to rot them. Your soil drainage quality is a key, as well as drainage holes in your containers. Just make sure that you have a tray underneath to catch the excess water. Special trays have grooves to catch standing water in the groove and keep the container above the waterline..

Step #5: Follow Instructions. Seed packets often give you the necessary details on how to plant and care for each type of seed. Some seeds may need overnight soaking. Others may need a shallow planting depth to germinate.  Seed sellers can also provide the best time to plant and time to harvest as well as watering schedule and light requirements.

Gardening Tip: Time is of the essence. Plants do not have watches and do not pay any attention to the calendar. They work with weather events. Frost is one event that impacts planting. Many seeds are planted about six weeks before the last frost. That is pretty tricky with all the changes in our weather pattern. You need to pay attention to your weather pattern so that you give enough time to your seeds to grow before you can plant them in your garden. Almmanc.com provides a planting calendar.

Step #6: Waters of Life and Death. Working with seedlings, you find out how fast they dry out.  They need water when they need them. Forget to water and they die. Overwater and they die. Check the soil. It should not be wet; it should be moist on the dry side. Some people use mist sprayer to water the plant without drowning them.

Step #7: Tough Love Could Kill. Our door environment may be too rough for seedlings. Allow them time to acclimate by putting them outside for a few hours, preferably in the morning before the hot sun is out. Over a week, you can gradually increase their exposure before you plant them in your garden.

Be prepared to lose some seedlings, be ready to research problems, and be willing to learn.

I lost more than half of my seedlings the first time I tried. In the third try, I lost only about 1%

With practice, you’ll get better in growing your organic seeds. Isn’t that like life?

Fish Emulsion vs Fish Meal vs Fish Hydrolysate vs Seaweed

by Leave a Comment

Life began within the ocean, and ocean products continue to provide both macro and micronutrients for plants.

Many fertilizers lack the balance of macro and micronutrients needed for plants to thrive.

Here is an intro to fish-based plant products.

Fish Emulsion

The fishing industry provides a unique product used for roses as the by-product of their activities.

When you find out how it is produced, you may want to think twice before using fish emulsion as a foliar spray for nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium for roses.

The production of fish emulsion begins by cleaning the fish, removing its humanly consumed part, and then cooking the leftover in high temperatures.

Fish oil is then extracted for other uses.

The protein is then removed and dried to produce fish meal.

Water is condensed into the thick, brown liquid we know as fish emulsion.

After all the processing, what is left is a malodourous fish smell and solid particles to clog your sprayer.

Fish Meal

Fish meal as a slow-release source of primary macro, secondary macro, and micronutrients is another story.

Beneficial bacteria within fish meal brings a protective balance to the rose root system. And since by definition, protein includes nitrogen atoms, fish meal produces the source of nitrogen that leaches into the soil for the roots to absorb.

Just remember that surface moisture contact is necessary for nutrients to become part of the soil. You need to work the fish meal into the soil and water it.

Sprinkling on top invites unwanted animal attention without the benefits to your roses.

Fish Hydrolysate

Research brings innovation to life.  Enter fish hydrolysate.

It is designed to bring a whole plant food approach of humans to plants. It contains all the vitamins, proteins, amino acids, enzymes, growth hormones, and micronutrients of a whole fish.

Then through chelation, additional nitrogen and other nutrients are added.

Perhaps the best part is the removal of the fish odor. You can use fish a foliar spray or soil drench to add beneficial foliar and soil fungi.

The question is, why use the whole fish when humans can eat it?

These are fish that are not wanted but still caught in the fishing system by accident or better-said inaccuracies of the fishing process.

Or what is left over after more desirable parts of fish is removed for humans. Think about it this way.

When you visit the meat section of your grocery store and see all the fish fillets, do you ever see any signs of the rest of the fish?

Well, some of it has gone to create fish hydrolysate.

They are grounded up and without harmful heat through cold use of enzymes digested into fish hydrolysate.

Kelp or Seaweed

Any ocean plant can be called seaweed. However, kelp is a particular family of ocean plants called

My dictionary defines kelp as “any large, brown, cold-water seaweed of the family Laminariaceae,  ad brown algal seaweeds.

With plenty of carbohydrates, amino acids, and about 60 beneficial micronutrients, seaweed is reported to enhance root growth, improve color, resistance to changes in temperature and drought.

Often used as foliar spray seaweed can be applied as a soil amendment to beneficial soil and foliar fungi.

Final Note

Many gardeners have more than roses in their garden. Beneficial products for roses like fish hydrolysate and seaweed can go a long way toward your other plants.

Soil Basics – Texture

by Leave a Comment

Growth and environment are intertwined in people and plants.  Soil is a critical part of the environment plants need to grow and be healthy.

There is no such a thing as excellent soil or better soil. There is only appropriate and productive soil which entirely depends on your plant.  

Texture is one of the basic elements of evaluating soil.

Soil texture refers to the combination of clay, sand and silt which are classified by size.

From smallest which is clay with particle sizes less than 0.002mm, we move to silt at 0.002-0.02 mm and then fine sand at 0.02-0.2mm and finally coarse sand at 0.2-2 mm

Fine particles when moist stick together, hold water and form a water barrier. Coarse particles allow the water to flow through.

Each plant has its own requirement. Most do not like to have wet roots. The appropriate texture for each plant provides enough water for the root system to absorb soil nutrients soaking it.

Too much clay keeps the roots wet. Too much sand allows the water too escape quickly, sometimes without allowing the roots to absorb the water or the nutrients.