Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
Roses enchant every garden with their blossoms - if they are properly fertilized. You can find out when, how and with what best to fertilize roses here.
In order for your rose (Rosa) to develop true picture book blossoms that would do credit to Sleeping Beauty, the delicate little plant has to expend a lot of energy. For this, the flowers of love need regular and sufficient nutrients, because the storage available in the soil is quickly used up by the heavy consumers. In order for you to be able to bring in a colorful profit, you have to invest a little love effort. Therefore, professional care of a rose includes the regular supply of a suitable fertilizer. You should also keep an eye on the ground under the rose. Its performance and care determine, among other things, how well the nutrients are absorbed.
So that roses can come up with majestic flowers, the plant invests an enormous number of nutrients and assimilates from photosynthesis in its beguiling robe. The nutrient reserves in the pot as well as in the soil can be quickly exhausted. It is therefore up to you to regularly replenish the nutrient stores through fertilizer application. So that your roses don't just show off their prickly side, we'll explain which fertilizer is best for roses and when to fertilize roses.
When is the best time to fertilize roses?
For 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 initial fertilization will take effect next spring, when your garden - including plants and soil organisms - wakes up from hibernation. In the meantime, the freshly planted garden queen has already taken root a little. It doesn't have to be fertilized again until June or July in order to be able to support the last blossoms, the formation of the bright red rose hips and the preparation for the next winter.
Fertilize roses in the bed
The first fertilization of established existing plants in the bedtakes place in the spring between March and April. At this point in time, the rose is just budding with the strength of the past year: it has stored sugar (assimilates) and nutrients in the roots, stems and shoots. In order for the effort to be 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 rate of action and an even 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, so as not to hinder the important end of the shoot - i.e. the lignification in autumn.
Fertilize roses in autumn
To get your roses ready for the winter, the second fertilizing appointment in June or July is usually sufficient. 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 s alt 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
- Rose should be provided with an organic long-term fertilizer when planting.
- Existing plants are fertilized twice a year: in March/April and in June/July.
- Roses in cold locations may benefit from additional potassium fertilization in late summer.
When to fertilize roses in the pot?
Potted roses outdoors are supplied with a long-term fertilizer just like outdoor roses directly at the time of planting. The fertilizer dates are generally the same for bed roses and potted roses if an organic or organo-mineral fertilizer is used. Despite the smaller volume of substrate, a large amount can be fertilized "in reserve" with organic fertilizer without over-fertilization occurring.
If you want to use a mineral fertilizer without a long-term effect, monthly fertilization is necessary between March and July. For pot roses that are in the room or are wintered warm and bright, up tobe fertilized in September. Of course, fertilizing with a long-term fertilizer is also possible in the pot. Provide your roses with this two to three times a year like the specimens planted out.
Summary: When to Fertilize Potted Roses?
- Potted roses that overwinter outdoors are fertilized in the same way as outdoor roses.
- Potted roses indoors can be fertilized well into 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, the best thing to do is 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 nitrogenous, your rose will grow in no time, but the formation of flowers will fall short. In addition, roses need a relatively high proportion of phosphate in the fertilizer so that the flowers can be seen in full splendor and as numerous as possible.
But not only the contained nutrients are important. The form of administration has a decisive influence on the effect of the fertilizer. You have the choice between mineral, organic, organo-mineral or organic fertilizers - there are also liquid fertilizers. Mineral liquid fertilizers and solid mineral fertilizers such as blue grain are actually hardly suitable for supplying woody plants. The extremely fast and short-lived nutrient release results in bursty growth and roses prone to pests, frost and drought. As in many cases, you should also rely on an organic long-term fertilizer. This has the following advantages for you:
- Natural long-term effect and flowing release, which ensures equally natural and even plant growth.
- Soil care, humus regeneration and thus increasing soil quality, which is quite important for roses. Also entry of important trace nutrients.
- Processing conserves resources and application is kind to your garden, your pets and even your plants.
Especially with woody plants, an even long-term effect is important. Our primarily organic Plantura organic rose fertilizer offers a natural long-term effectan NPK ratio of 5-2-8.5 + 2 MgO. In this way, your noble plants are sustainably cared for in terms of time and ecology. In comparison to mineral fertilizers, valuable resources are saved during production.
Note that different rose varieties have different soil pH requirements. While most strains 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 very well and chlorosis can develop 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 uptake strategy by the rose on the other. Those roses that love alkaline soil pH have better iron uptake strategies and reward calc with better growth.
You can find more information on the composition and mode of action of rose fertilizers in our special article.
Fertilize roses correctly: Instructions for ideal application
Just as people have to find the right balance when it comes to nutrition, the same applies to our photosynthetic darlings. So that your roses can grow into vital, magnificent specimens in a balanced nutrient environment, you should pay attention to the right fertilizer dosage. Therefore we have put together a small guide for you on how to apply our Plantura organic rose fertilizer correctly:
- The perfect time to fertilize is in the evening. Loosen the soil superficially so as not to destroy roots.
- The appropriate amount of our Plantura organic rose fertilizer is then 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 spread of the root system: Nutrients can be taken up primarily with the finest branches of the roots - i.e. also at a distance from the rootstock.
- Work in the fertilizer granules a little and then water thoroughly.
- You can find the right fertilizer times and dosages in the table below.
| fertilization time | Recommended dosage |
|---|---|
| For 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 introduced directly with plenty of water, which is so important for the release of nutrients.
Fertilize roses with minerals: Blaukorn and Co.
Depending on the 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 blossoms cost the plants a lot of energy. Mineral fertilizers have the disadvantage that they work quickly, but not for long. For you as a user, this means that you must not forget to apply fertilizer or apply it at the wrong time - otherwise malnutrition or incorrect fertilization with fertilization damage can occur.
Too much nitrogen leads to increased vegetative growth - lots of foliage and little flowering 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 more suitable because of the lower risk of over-fertilization and a more even supply, preferably in organic quality.
Fertilize roses with home remedies such as coffee grounds and co.
Fertilising the location of a rose with a little sour coffee grounds can be beneficial for soil structure and humus content. This is where quantity matters: adding four spoonfuls of dried coffee grounds to a rose twice a year is perfectly safe and will bring in a little extra nitrogen. For lime-tolerant or lime-loving varieties, finely ground eggshells or small amounts of clean wood ash can be beneficial fertilizers to achieve the appropriate pH while fertilizing calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. A little tip for a lush bloom are crushed banana peels. These are rich in phosphate compounds and potassium.
We have summarized here for you why special rose fertilizers make sense.