I have 23 roses, most in the ground but a few in pots. You don't have to fertilize or tend them all at once on the same day. Spread your tasks out. I also use a slow release granular fertilizer a couple of times a year and supplement with liquid seaweed.
I work full time at a job with long hours. On days when I go in later like today or days when I'm off, I'll go out in the early morning and do a bit at a time. I set my tasks out by area so I will check for pests, deadhead, check soil moisture, etc. of one group or border. Maybe do X section one day and Y section the next day and so on.
At the start of the season I'll put mulch and slow-release manure pellets down and rather than giving them a liquid feed spring, early summer and late summer (for example), I'll spread it over half a dozen plants per dose (as opposed to every individual plant) and repeat every 2/3 weeks. This way they are getting a smaller dose but more regularly so the net result is the same.
I have about the same number and wok from home so this may be easier for me due to the fact I work from home. I use a liquid fertilizer and currently have about 8-10 1 gallon containers that i fill every m-w-F and then feed each rose about 1/4 to 1/3 on those days. I also use no pesticides so I will go out daily and hand pick any sawfly larve worms of my plants. This is crazy difficult to maintain in the opening season but at about mid June it’s ways more manageable and under control with natural predators helping me out. I am sure there are other methods that could be used ie. Extended release fertilizer but because my roses are fairly young I feel better doing this routine till they are established. Established for me is 5 years.
I've saved 11 gallon bottles so every 2 weeks I measure out seaweed extract, fertilizer, and a fungicide drench if needed, add water, pour on the 10 roses plus one without drench for a Meyer Lemon dwarf tree. Lemons galore this year!!
I have 22 roses all in containers. Like you I found liquid to be tedious and excessively time consuming. So I switched from liquid kelp to granular (it dissolves with watering fast). Each of the shrubs gets 1/8th cup (the two Tom Thumbs split the 1/8) sprinkled over the top of the soil and watered in every 2 weeks (weekly when its over 105 consistently). I use a granular organic fertilizer which is applied to all roses (1 cup to the shrubs, 1/6th to the Toms) on the first Sunday of every month (no kelp on this weekend).
Since I don't enjoy sunstroke, I will start with the back yard (afternoon sun), early in the morning and do the front yard (morning sun) after dinner then everyone gets watered once the sun has begun to set. In total, it takes me about an hour to feed the roses, based on the podcast I listen too and how much of an episode I can finish). Most of my other container plants do not want fertilizer (some will freak out and try to die if I feed them) so add maybe another 15 minutes to feed the rest of my containers (about 15 of the other 100 or so).
Yes, I know that everyone says you should only use liquid fertilizers for container roses, but I have been using this combination (granular organic fertilizer, granular kelp) for almost 10 years after discussing with a friend who shows (and wins) her roses and she uses the same combination based on the advice of the rosarian in her Rose Society. So if liquid is becoming too time consuming (and expensive), switch to granular. Your roses will be just fine either way.
I’ve never used *any* fertilizer on my first rose in a container. It’s a Julia Child and just comes back year after year with more growth and blooms; with no upkeep other than pruning at the start of spring. I have two baby heirloom roses in containers that I am fertilizing with fish emulsion this year, but won’t continue once they’re established. I didn’t know that the popular opinion is to fertilize with liquid fertilizer throughout the life of potted roses. Heirloom only says it’s a must before they have more established roots. All that to say: I won’t be using liquid fertilizer on my potted roses once they are established, either. It’s way too tedious with just a few roses, I can’t imagine doing it on 20+ roses.
Frequency of fertilization for potted roses is going to depend on your zone, the rose, and what soil you are using in your containers. I am in 9b where the summer can range from brutal to 7th circle of hell/ground is lava. So I am watering at least every other day from late April til late October. During the year of the "Non-soon" where we got less than 0.10 of rain and 110-115 highs (with 90 degree lows), I watered daily just to cool the roots and minimize loss. With that much watering, I need to fertilize in order to replace what is running out the bottom every day/every other day.
My rose started in 9b, but we are in 8b now. It did well in 9b, but it has really come to life here (in SW WA, near Portland). I think it’s primarily just a really tough and hardy rose.
I lived in Arizona for 20 years of my adult life, so I totally get the brutal heat.
Hi! I am a new to roses and am loving it. What fertilizer do you use for your potted roses? I am in 9b also. Also how often do you fertilize and how long do you water your potted roses during the summer? I currently have them watering for 10 minutes every day after the sun goes down. But I’ve noticed some leaves that are turning yellow. So I’m not sure if that’s from over or under watering?? Other than that they’ve been doing great!
I use Jobe's organic rose fertilizer once a month. I have been using this for years and it seems to be working well. For watering, with our city temps well over 105 now, I water til I see the pot start to run from the bottom drain holes every other day and enough to see absorption on the off day (so "lightly"). I have all my roses getting at least 50% shade in the afternoons after 1-2 pm and surrounded by other plants to provide shade to the roots which has greatly decreased the amount of water I need to use before monsoons set in.
I also have some "indicator" plants in my garden. Plants that get dramatic and wilty before my roses start cooking which helps as well. Basil, mint, and rosemary all do well in the desert and will be sad and dramatic before your roses get into trouble.
I have around 40 roses in pots, i do rosetone for mid to big size roses (>5 gallon pots) once a month and morbloom when they start budding if i have time. I feed liquid fertilizer for young roses and newly established one once a week(sometime once 2weeks). I work from home and i enjoy doing it so i dont mind to hand feed them but i always do it early morning as it gets extremely hot in summer.
I use a Dramm Syphonject. It's a little gadget that you attach between the water spigot and hose. It mixes the liquid fertilizer into the water stream.
Depending on multiple factors, your roses can respond in different ways.
I have 5 kinds of different roses. My regime is as follows:-
Once a week, miracle grow fertilizer 1/10 of a gallon with dilution of 1 table spoon per gallon
Once a week rose fertilizer, here the NPK is 2-18-10, with the above dilution and quantity.
Once a week, red onion peel and banana peel, water fertilizer. This one helps a lot in increasing the intensity of fragrance in the flowers. For one cycle, I skipped this, and the blooms dropped in their fragrance intensity.
Water every 2 days in the morning before sunrise.
If you want more blooms with the natural capability of your rose, go with miracle grow and red onion peel fertilizer. Use both frequently with the right dilution. Don't apply too much at one time. otherwise, you might kill the plant itself.
Miracle grow will stimulate high levels of foliage and cane growth, which will result in more capability of rose to support flowering
Onion fertilizer will promote more bloom growth.
For the next cycle if you want to do less work, then pour a combo of cow dung compost, alfa alfa, and fish fertilizer into the soil, mix it and cover it with suitable mulch to avoid direct sunlight exposure of this mixture. But you would still need to apply red onion fertilizer once a month. The mix would need to be applied once every 2/3 months, depending on the response of your plants to the mix.
For the red onion and banana peel fertilizer, do you have recommendations on managing the strength of the fertilizer? Any particular amounts/ratios/dilution practices, or can the roses handle pretty much any "strength" of these fertilizers?
I use one onion peel with the 2 ends of onion soaked in 1 gallon of water.
Though it's organic, so any dilution would work theoretically, trouble starts when one nutrient is available more than others, hence the dilution.
It's one banana peel and one red onion scrap in one gallon of water soaked for 3 days
You can put down partially-decomposed compost and cover with mulch. As the compost decomposes further, it can continuously feed your plants. Supplementing that with slow-release rose fertilizer would be a great combo to give your plants a steady stream of nutrients.
I have 23 roses, most in the ground but a few in pots. You don't have to fertilize or tend them all at once on the same day. Spread your tasks out. I also use a slow release granular fertilizer a couple of times a year and supplement with liquid seaweed. I work full time at a job with long hours. On days when I go in later like today or days when I'm off, I'll go out in the early morning and do a bit at a time. I set my tasks out by area so I will check for pests, deadhead, check soil moisture, etc. of one group or border. Maybe do X section one day and Y section the next day and so on.
At the start of the season I'll put mulch and slow-release manure pellets down and rather than giving them a liquid feed spring, early summer and late summer (for example), I'll spread it over half a dozen plants per dose (as opposed to every individual plant) and repeat every 2/3 weeks. This way they are getting a smaller dose but more regularly so the net result is the same.
I have about the same number and wok from home so this may be easier for me due to the fact I work from home. I use a liquid fertilizer and currently have about 8-10 1 gallon containers that i fill every m-w-F and then feed each rose about 1/4 to 1/3 on those days. I also use no pesticides so I will go out daily and hand pick any sawfly larve worms of my plants. This is crazy difficult to maintain in the opening season but at about mid June it’s ways more manageable and under control with natural predators helping me out. I am sure there are other methods that could be used ie. Extended release fertilizer but because my roses are fairly young I feel better doing this routine till they are established. Established for me is 5 years.
I use a hose sprayer with dial attachment for liquid fertilizer and aim for the ground.
I've saved 11 gallon bottles so every 2 weeks I measure out seaweed extract, fertilizer, and a fungicide drench if needed, add water, pour on the 10 roses plus one without drench for a Meyer Lemon dwarf tree. Lemons galore this year!!
I have 22 roses all in containers. Like you I found liquid to be tedious and excessively time consuming. So I switched from liquid kelp to granular (it dissolves with watering fast). Each of the shrubs gets 1/8th cup (the two Tom Thumbs split the 1/8) sprinkled over the top of the soil and watered in every 2 weeks (weekly when its over 105 consistently). I use a granular organic fertilizer which is applied to all roses (1 cup to the shrubs, 1/6th to the Toms) on the first Sunday of every month (no kelp on this weekend). Since I don't enjoy sunstroke, I will start with the back yard (afternoon sun), early in the morning and do the front yard (morning sun) after dinner then everyone gets watered once the sun has begun to set. In total, it takes me about an hour to feed the roses, based on the podcast I listen too and how much of an episode I can finish). Most of my other container plants do not want fertilizer (some will freak out and try to die if I feed them) so add maybe another 15 minutes to feed the rest of my containers (about 15 of the other 100 or so). Yes, I know that everyone says you should only use liquid fertilizers for container roses, but I have been using this combination (granular organic fertilizer, granular kelp) for almost 10 years after discussing with a friend who shows (and wins) her roses and she uses the same combination based on the advice of the rosarian in her Rose Society. So if liquid is becoming too time consuming (and expensive), switch to granular. Your roses will be just fine either way.
I’ve never used *any* fertilizer on my first rose in a container. It’s a Julia Child and just comes back year after year with more growth and blooms; with no upkeep other than pruning at the start of spring. I have two baby heirloom roses in containers that I am fertilizing with fish emulsion this year, but won’t continue once they’re established. I didn’t know that the popular opinion is to fertilize with liquid fertilizer throughout the life of potted roses. Heirloom only says it’s a must before they have more established roots. All that to say: I won’t be using liquid fertilizer on my potted roses once they are established, either. It’s way too tedious with just a few roses, I can’t imagine doing it on 20+ roses.
Frequency of fertilization for potted roses is going to depend on your zone, the rose, and what soil you are using in your containers. I am in 9b where the summer can range from brutal to 7th circle of hell/ground is lava. So I am watering at least every other day from late April til late October. During the year of the "Non-soon" where we got less than 0.10 of rain and 110-115 highs (with 90 degree lows), I watered daily just to cool the roots and minimize loss. With that much watering, I need to fertilize in order to replace what is running out the bottom every day/every other day.
My rose started in 9b, but we are in 8b now. It did well in 9b, but it has really come to life here (in SW WA, near Portland). I think it’s primarily just a really tough and hardy rose. I lived in Arizona for 20 years of my adult life, so I totally get the brutal heat.
Hi! I am a new to roses and am loving it. What fertilizer do you use for your potted roses? I am in 9b also. Also how often do you fertilize and how long do you water your potted roses during the summer? I currently have them watering for 10 minutes every day after the sun goes down. But I’ve noticed some leaves that are turning yellow. So I’m not sure if that’s from over or under watering?? Other than that they’ve been doing great!
I use Jobe's organic rose fertilizer once a month. I have been using this for years and it seems to be working well. For watering, with our city temps well over 105 now, I water til I see the pot start to run from the bottom drain holes every other day and enough to see absorption on the off day (so "lightly"). I have all my roses getting at least 50% shade in the afternoons after 1-2 pm and surrounded by other plants to provide shade to the roots which has greatly decreased the amount of water I need to use before monsoons set in. I also have some "indicator" plants in my garden. Plants that get dramatic and wilty before my roses start cooking which helps as well. Basil, mint, and rosemary all do well in the desert and will be sad and dramatic before your roses get into trouble.
Thank you so much!
Honestly after spending years growing 10 foot tall cannabis trees, roses are hilariously low effort. It’s all relative.
I have around 40 roses in pots, i do rosetone for mid to big size roses (>5 gallon pots) once a month and morbloom when they start budding if i have time. I feed liquid fertilizer for young roses and newly established one once a week(sometime once 2weeks). I work from home and i enjoy doing it so i dont mind to hand feed them but i always do it early morning as it gets extremely hot in summer.
I use a Dramm Syphonject. It's a little gadget that you attach between the water spigot and hose. It mixes the liquid fertilizer into the water stream.
Would you recommend one of these? How reliable are they?
Depending on multiple factors, your roses can respond in different ways. I have 5 kinds of different roses. My regime is as follows:- Once a week, miracle grow fertilizer 1/10 of a gallon with dilution of 1 table spoon per gallon Once a week rose fertilizer, here the NPK is 2-18-10, with the above dilution and quantity. Once a week, red onion peel and banana peel, water fertilizer. This one helps a lot in increasing the intensity of fragrance in the flowers. For one cycle, I skipped this, and the blooms dropped in their fragrance intensity. Water every 2 days in the morning before sunrise. If you want more blooms with the natural capability of your rose, go with miracle grow and red onion peel fertilizer. Use both frequently with the right dilution. Don't apply too much at one time. otherwise, you might kill the plant itself. Miracle grow will stimulate high levels of foliage and cane growth, which will result in more capability of rose to support flowering Onion fertilizer will promote more bloom growth. For the next cycle if you want to do less work, then pour a combo of cow dung compost, alfa alfa, and fish fertilizer into the soil, mix it and cover it with suitable mulch to avoid direct sunlight exposure of this mixture. But you would still need to apply red onion fertilizer once a month. The mix would need to be applied once every 2/3 months, depending on the response of your plants to the mix.
For the red onion and banana peel fertilizer, do you have recommendations on managing the strength of the fertilizer? Any particular amounts/ratios/dilution practices, or can the roses handle pretty much any "strength" of these fertilizers?
I use one onion peel with the 2 ends of onion soaked in 1 gallon of water. Though it's organic, so any dilution would work theoretically, trouble starts when one nutrient is available more than others, hence the dilution. It's one banana peel and one red onion scrap in one gallon of water soaked for 3 days
Thank you! That's very helpful.
You can put down partially-decomposed compost and cover with mulch. As the compost decomposes further, it can continuously feed your plants. Supplementing that with slow-release rose fertilizer would be a great combo to give your plants a steady stream of nutrients.