Manures - chicken, rabbit and steer are also in this category. They supply benefits to the soil in addition to food for the plants, and should therefore be a regular part of your amendment program. Brand name manufactured rose foods include Bandini , Fertilome , Miracle-Gro , RapidGro , Sterns , Peters , etc. Roses utilize natural and chemical food sources equally, and benefit greatly from use of both, on an alternating basis. Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium are the three major ingredients required by all plant materials, in varying proportions, dependent upon the plant s needs.
Roses utilize each ingredient at differing times of the growth and blooming cycles.
More Nitrogen is needed for early spring growth of stems and foliage, plus continual moderate supply during the entire growing season. Potassium provides health for the plant, a catalyst for Nitrogen and Phosphorus. It also builds in hardiness to heat, drought and cold, and is therefore a good supplement just prior to the dormant season. Each of the three ingredients may be purchased separately for addition to specialized feedings. During that process, matter is transformed first into ammonium, then to nitrite, and finally to nitrate nitrogen forms.