homemade Organic Fertilizers for Roses

homemade Organic Fertilizers for Roses

Roses have always been a favorite among flower lovers. These plants are commonly grown in home gardens. Most of the rose varieties are easy to grow and if properly taken care of, they will reward you with fragrant and colorful flowers. If you are interested in having them in your home garden, then it will be better to have a fair understanding on how to grow roses. Some of the basic aspects of rose plant care is to provide them with an ample amount of sunlight and water. Besides that, proper pruning, feeding, pest and disease control, etc., are also vital. As far as feeding is concerned, you may go for organic or synthetic fertilizers. Nowadays, most of the gardeners prefer organic fertilizers to other types. You may either resort to commercial organic fertilizers or the homemade ones. If you are interested in knowing more about how to make organic fertilizers for roses, then, continue reading this article.

Ways to Make Organic Fertilizers for Roses

Procedure ~ I

• If you want an easy method to make an organic fertilizer for roses, then all you have to do is to gather some coffee grounds. As coffee grounds contain good amount of nitrogen, magnesium and potassium, it is ideal for roses.
• Take five gallons of water in a bucket and add half a pound of coffee grounds in it. Let the mixture sit for one whole day, in direct sunlight. After that, you can pour this water on the soil in which roses are planted.
• You may also use dry coffee grounds for feeding roses. Dry the coffee grounds either in sunlight or in the oven. Slightly dig up the soil and bury the dried coffee grounds (around six tablespoons) around the base of the plant.
• If you have the practice of making compost, then you may add the coffee grounds to the compost, which is one of the ideal natural fertilizers for roses.

Procedure ~ II

• You can prepare one of the best rose plant foods at home. In order to prepare this, you need one cup each of gypsum, alfalfa meal, fish meal, greensand and half a cup of bone meal. Take a bucket big enough to contain the ingredients.
• Mix the ingredients inside the bucket and your rose food is ready. Make sure to wear a dust mask, while mixing them.
• Rose food made as per this recipe will be sufficient for a large bush or three to four small ones. You may increase the quantity of ingredients and store the excess fertilizer in a container with tight lid.

Procedure ~ III

• You may prepare a homemade organic foliar feed by mixing two tablespoons each of molasses, fish fertilizer and apple cider vinegar with a tablespoon of epsom salt, three cups water and a teaspoon of kelp extract.
• Once you are done with mixing the ingredients, pour the mixture into a two gallon watering can containing water. Apply this organic rose food on the leaves of the plant.
• It is best to apply this fertilizer during evening, as day time application of foliar feed may result in burning of the leaves. The remaining amount can be poured on the soil in which the roses are growing.

Natural Fertilizers for Roses

You may prepare some excellent rose fertilizers using some of the commonly available household items. Rich in magnesium and sulfate, epsom salts can be diluted with water (one tablespoon for one gallon water) and used as rose food. The same applies to white vinegar that can also be used in the diluted form, as described above. Instead of throwing away the egg shells, you can use them for feeding roses. All you have to do is to let them dry, before grinding to a fine powder that can be applied to the soil. Even the water in the fish tank is rich in nutrients and so, don't discard this water, the next time you clean the tank. Use it for watering rose plants.

You may try any of the above said methods to prepare one at home. However, the golden rule is to use it in required amounts, in the proper manner. If used excessively, even organic fertilizers are not good for the health of your beautiful roses. It will always be better to gain a thorough knowledge about rose plant feeding from the local nursery authorities or a horticulturist.