JimS. wrote:
"Shiva" wrote in message

We are having a discussion at Gardenweb in the Roses forum about
fertilizing.

Someone quoted Johnny Becnel (SP!) as saying most of us overferilize.
He apparently feeds a nine-month slow release and lets the roses rely
on mulch breakdown aside from that and a single application of
organics early in the season.

Thoughts?

Remember when you were little, and your Mom would always tell you, "leave
that alone, quit picking at it"? And did you ever leave it alone? Nope.
So, I don't know about anyone else, but I know that I sure can't stop
picking at my roses for 9 months at a time. Whether they NEED it or not is
a purely academic question, as far as I'm concerned.

I agree with Johnny. The temptation is to do something *to* them
instead of letting them do it themselves. Except for exhibitors'
roses, which need to force bloom to a schedule, roses don't need
massive amount of ferts. They grow to their genetically determined
schedule and size. A 15 foot rambler doesn't need more ferts to get 15
feet than a 4 foot shrub needs. I think our time is much better spent
concentrating on soil tilth and soil chemistry, keeping the pH in the
range and keeping the soil healthy.

I'm a huge fan of compost for roses. Unfortunately, it's a lot more
work than fertilizer in a plastic jar.