How to Fertilize Your Roses

Fertilizing your roses is an absolute necessity, since it is how your roses get their essential nutrients. Roses are much like people in the things that they need in order to remain healthy. Just like people they need water and food (fertilizer).

Most types of roses have to be fertilized frequently to keep them growing at a rapid pace. You should fertilize with a fertilizer that is slow to release like fish emulsion or Osmocote at planting time and make sure that you follow the instructions properly from the label.

Avoid over fertilizing during winter since trying to promote new growth in the winter will make your roses more susceptible to freeze damage.
 
An Important Fertilizing Tip: You should never fertilize plants that are heat or water stressed. Water stressed plants that grow under a lot of heat will cause leaf and bud burn.

A steady temperature of approximately 70-80 degrees is required for fertilizing because your plants will get the most nutrients that are available to the plants. During the growing season, you can give the plants a water soluble fertilizer every two weeks.