On Wed, 14 May 2003 17:21:07 GMT, "Snooze"
wrote:


I almost never use any synthetic fertilizer, and I get a sufficient volume
of blooms, enough to keep me happy. In the winter, I sprinkle bone meal and
blood meal around the base of the roses, then pile composted steer manure
around the base as well. Then every two weeks I clean the filter for my
pond, and I just dump all the muck and algae around the roses as well.
Better to feed the plants with the muck then to dump down the storm drain.

Works extremely well for me.


You know, this echos the current trend in human nutrition science that
holds that "whole" foods have a greater overall benefit, although we
have only begun to understand what substances in them bring the
benefit. Roses fed only whole fertilizers may also benefit from the
lack of salt(s) found in synthetic fertilizers.