March is a critical time for roses to grow, and the rate of growth can be described as “one day at a time”. In just three days, the original rose seedlings that have not yet germinated may already show a verdant green. By mid-March, the growth rate of roses has accelerated significantly. Then the question comes: in the process of rapid growth of roses, how do we fertilize scientifically?
Spring is the golden season of rose growth, many flower lovers are concerned about how to fertilize correctly. Here are some common fertilization problems and their solutions.
1. What kind of fertilizer to apply?
In early spring, there is a wide range of fertilizers on the market with many brands, but the key to roses does not lie in the brand, but in the active ingredient composition of the fertilizer.
Early spring is the stage of rapid growth of rose branches, also known as the nutrient growth period. During this stage, roses need a lot of nitrogen fertilizer to support the growth of leaves and stems. Therefore, you can choose a general-purpose growth fertilizer for follow-up application.
Some flower lovers prefer to use pure nitrogen fertilizer, but it is recommended that pure nitrogen fertilizer should not be used more than twice. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer may cause rose branches to overextend and make the plant look loose. In contrast, a balanced fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is more suitable for the growth needs of roses.
In addition, while supplementing with large quantities of elements, micronutrient fertilizers can also be added in moderation. If the use of compound fertilizer does not contain trace elements, you can occasionally chase the application of a variety of trace elements foliar fertilizer once or twice. For the pursuit of convenience for the flower lovers, you can choose special flower fertilizer, such as “flower more” series in the 1 formula or “Melaleuca” growth type nutrient solution, these fertilizers usually already contain trace elements.
2. Fertilizer concentration and frequency
The concentration and frequency of fertilizers are crucial to the health of roses. Too high a concentration can lead to fertilizer damage, and too much fertilizer can be harmful to the plant.
The basic rule is to “fertilize sparingly”. Each fertilizer has a recommended concentration and it is advisable to dilute it slightly. For example, the recommended concentration of “Flower Duo” is 1,000 times, and it can be diluted up to 1,200 times to avoid fertilizer damage due to differences in fertilizer tolerance among different varieties and seedlings of roses.
The frequency of fertilization should be combined with the watering schedule. The general recommendation is “two fertilizers and one water”, i.e., watering once after every two fertilizers. For example, if you water every three days, you can fertilize on the first day, fertilize again on the fourth day, and water only on the seventh day. This can effectively prevent the occurrence of fertilizer damage.
3. Methods of fertilizing
Fertilization methods are diverse, but the most commonly used is the combination of root irrigation and foliar spraying. Although some flower lovers think it is troublesome to irrigate the root, and want to directly spread the fertilizer on the surface of the potting soil or shallow buried, but it is difficult to control the amount of dosage, easy to cause fertilizer damage.
Therefore, it is recommended to stick to the method of root irrigation and foliar spraying, which is safer and more reliable.
4. How to chase fertilizer when it rains continuously?
When it rains continuously, the chance of root irrigation is reduced, and then you can focus on using foliar fertilizer. However, if it rains continuously, foliar fertilization alone may not be able to meet the nutrient demand of roses. In this case, a small amount of granular compound fertilizer can be sprinkled around the edge of the pot, but the amount should be strictly controlled. If it is agricultural compound fertilizer, 1 gallon pot can be sprinkled 1-2 grams; if it is “flower more”, the amount needs to be further reduced. Be careful not to spread the fertilizer in the middle of the plant or on the leaves, so as not to burn the plant.
5. How to fertilize when a few buds appear?
If the rose has started to grow flower buds, the fertilization strategy needs to be adjusted. If most of the new branches have formed flower buds, you can switch to a fertilizer that promotes flowering, such as “Flower Duo” No. 2 or potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer.
However, if flower buds appear on only a few short branches, while the other branches are still growing rapidly, you should continue to apply a general-purpose growth fertilizer and cut off the flower buds on these small branches. Because these buds usually do not bloom well, but instead consume a lot of nutrients.
By doing the above, you can better manage your roses’ growth process in the spring to ensure they thrive and produce beautiful blooms. We hope you find these tips helpful!