"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Franz Heymann
writes
Two questions:

(1) When should one stop feeding roses?

(2) I have a lot of Miracid as a leftover from a previous garden which
had
many rhodos and suchlike. Is it wise to use it as a rose feed?

Just to forestall one possible objection: I don't believe for one moment
that Miracid contains enough buffered acid to enable it to function as a
serious soil acidifier. A test with litmus paper shows it to be as near
as
dammit neutral in a tap water solution.

I thought the problem with lime haters was that the particular mineral
(IIRC iron) was not easily available in an acid soil. And that things
like Miracid, rather than trying to make the soil sufficiently acid for
the iron to become available, instead supply the iron in a form that can
be assimilated even when the pH of the soil is too high.

(Rather like giving Vitamin B12 injections to pernicious anaemia
sufferers who cannot absorb B12 taken orally)

That was a rather nice analogy.
Now get down to the nitty gritty {:-): Should I use up my unwanted reserves
by feeding my roses or not?

[Franz Heymann]