I propagate, grow and sell many varieties of plants to lanscapers and Garden Centers around Albany, NY, I also sell roses for Yonder Farms in Albany, NY. Gold Medal is one of the roses we sell. In spring we fertilize with a broad spectrum granular fertilizer followed at two week intervals by a dose of liquid fertilizer. It has been determined that after two weeks the fertilizer is washed from the soil and must be replaced. At Yonder Garden we do one of two things when we are preparing to plant an area.

#1) Sometimes we have an extremely hard and poor soil to deal with. We use compost and mulch aplied to the surface to a depth at least a foot (often this is done in fall). The following spring when we dig the once hard soil is much easier to work. We plant the rose in a volcano of soil within the mulch. We regularly fertilize the mulch which decomposes through the actions of worms (who are tilling it into the hardpan dirt below), fungi (who with myrchorizae can provide nutrients to the roses in a symbiotic relationship) and bacterial (composting). After several years in which we have to recover the volcano of soil each year as it gradually apears above the mulch line, The plant will have sunk down into its new location (the old hardpan surface).

#2) The other alternative is to till into the soil compost, manure and raw amendments (for bacteria). The important thing is to remember to amend beds not holes. I like to amend beds that are several feet deep by 10 or 15 feet wide. If you have grown tomatoes you already no how to do this. We allow at least 4 weeks for nutrient stabilization but the best is to amend in fall and plant in spring.