Robert S. Martin wrote:


But as for the black roses I have - they have always had the problem
of "low
leaf count but high flower ratio".

You know--I like blooms better than leaves, but I can see how you might
want both. G I don't know where you are, but if you go to the web site
for Beatty Fertilizer (I hope that's how it is spelled) you will see a
product called Mill's Magic Mix. This stuff produces big fat basal shoots
within two weeks of application that are sure to produce leaves. It has
lots of alfalfa, which some say is responsible for the basals. But it has
other stuff too. It is a coarse dry mix--you sprinkle two or three cups
around the bush under the mulch, then water in and watch out! I love this
stuff.