Growing rose in pots allows you to enjoy the beauty of this flower in case you don’t have a garden. But unlike garden roses, potted ones need more care, especially fertilization. How to fertilize roses in pots?
You’d better feed your potted roses every spring with slow-release organic fertilizer. During the growing season of this plant, they need to get fertilized monthly with organic nourishment like fish emulsion.
Besides, you should avoid applying fertilizers on rose’s foliage to prevent burned leaves. In this post, Swipe Garden will provide you with more helpful information about rose fertilization. Let’s explore together!
Potted roses need more care, especially fertilization.
How Often Do You Fertilize Roses In Pots?
Due to the limited soil amount, you will need to fertilize potted rose plants more often than garden ones. There are some perfect timeframes to fertilize that will be most effective.
Your flower plant should get food every 2-3 weeks after each bloom throughout the growing season.
In late summer, nourish the root of your plants with a slow-release fertilizer that’s low in nitrogen. Pause the fertilization about 6-8 weeks before the first frost.
In spring, give your rose high-nitrogen manure when you see new leaves appear. You can add some Epsom salt to stimulate the growth of cane and lusher. Wait until shoots are 4-5 inches in length to apply a slow-release fertilizer.
How Do You Make Roses Feed?
If you grow new rose plants, add a layer of compost into the planting holes before putting the plants in. Next, care their roots with slow-release fertilizer with the dosage as in the instructions for use.
You can use this fertilizer with some bone meal to provide more nutrients for the plant.
Until the flower plants get entirely established, you can feed them once a month with fish emulsion. Don’t use full-strength manures in this stage, as they can burn the root tips and leaf margins.
Established roses need balanced fertilizers with three components of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
To have thriving and highly productive flower plants, you have to feed them with enough of these nutrients during their growing time. You can consult some ways to make homemade rose fertilizers later in this article.
Established roses need balanced fertilizers.
How Often Should Roses Be Watered?
The watering frequency depends on many factors such as soil types, monthly rainfall, weather, etc. But generally, you should water the newly planted rose every two or three days and the established rose once a week.
According to experienced growers, you should water your flower when you see the top layer of soil is dry. In summer, you should observe your plants to check if they need water. Wilted blooms indicate that your roses need more water.
When watering, it’s better to avoid the blooms and foliage. Wet foliage can be the ideal condition for mildews and other fungi to grow.
How Do You Make Homemade Rose Fertilizer?
You can fertilize your rose with some natural or organic ingredients. Here are some homemade fertilizers you can make to nourish your flowers.
One of the essential nutrients for your rose is potassium which is abundant in banana peels. This kitchen leftover also provides your plants with many other minerals.
To use banana peels as manure, you need to grind and apply them to the base of your rose. You can also consult other ways to make fertilizers from banana skins in this video:
Banana peels provide your plants with many minerals.
Used tea leaves
Don’t rush to throw away tea bags after you use them. They are an ideal source of tannic acid that your rose will love. Open the tea bags and take out the used tea leaves to fertilize your flowers.
Your rose bushes will grow faster if the soil has a low pH. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar are good at acidifying the soil. But you need to combine this vinegar with other ingredients to add nutrients.
You can try the following recipe to make manure from apple cider vinegar and some other things. You will need:
- Molasses: 2 teaspoons
- Epsom salt: 1 tablespoon
- Apple cider vinegar: 2 tablespoons
- Fish meal: 2 tablespoons
- Kelp extract: 1 tablespoon
- Water: 3 cups
Put the dry ingredients in a container and slowly add vinegar and water, then stir well. You can use this mixture as an organic slow-release manure for your rose plants at the end of summer.
Apple cider vinegar is good at acidifying the soil.
Hopefully, our guide on how to fertilize roses in pots is helpful for you.
Caring for potted roses needs more time and effort than garden ones. But when you get vigorously blooming pots, you will know these investments are worth it. Thank you for following this post!