"Tom Line" wrote in message
...
What do you guys have the highest regard for in the fertilizer department?
Should I use different blends at different seasons? Granular seems the
easiest to me, and I'd like to not destroy the natural soil like I see a
lot of farmers do with their corn fields.

I use a mix of organic and inorganic fertilizers. Usually in
spring and fall (around here that would be Feb.-March and
Oct. - Nov.) I put alfalfa tea on the roses. If I have the
energy I also add an organic granular food (from bat guano,
I think) that I buy locally. During the summer when it's too
hot to fuss, I use a hose end sprayer and apply seaweed
plus Peters or Miracle Gro about once a month. I also
use mulch that has compost in it, refreshing it once a year.
Usually once during the growing season I also use fish
emulsion.

Does it work? I dunno. Hardy roses do great, weak
roses die no matter what I do. LOL! I'm in an area
that doesn't get much in the way of rose diseases or
pests so I don't have to spray (maybe one out of 150
gets powdery mildew every other year), blackspot doesn't
bother me, etc. I think those factors are important to
take into account when designing a feeding program.
I.e., what stressors are affecting your roses?

Some roses are more piggy than others. Climbers
typically require more food because they're bigger
and bloom a lot. But it depends on the climber.

Roses are pretty hardy shrubs. If you can find ones
that grow well in your area you should do ok with
almost any reasonable feeding program.

Gail
near San Antonio TX Zone 8