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I have a few questions about fertilizing roses: There is a timed-release “pill” for fertilizing plants (including roses), which it says works for “up to 2 years”. However, I’ve read in this forum that fertilizing should be stopped in autumn to give roses time to “harden off” for winter. I assume the fertilizer pill keeps fertilizing through the winter, since it works for up to 2 years. Is this bad? Or, is hardening off for winter less of an issue in zone 9, where I live? This pill is 20-10-5. Is this a good balance of nutrients for roses? I want to use this fertilizer pill if possible, because it takes a tremendous amount of time to sprinkle granular fertilizer around all my roses every month – but I want to make sure first that the pill is good for my roses.
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#1 of 2 posted
14 JUL 07 by
Wendy C
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In zone 9, winter generally isn't an issue. The feeder sticks, pills are okay, but I wouldn't consider them a once and done thing for two years.
They provide a steady supply of food, but during bloom season it isn't enough to sustain all the growth. A nice triple 16 lawn food or any balanced flower food would span the gap.
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#2 of 2 posted
14 JUL 07 by
 Cass
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Hi, Carolyn,
What's truly best for your roses depends on your garden soils. Wendy is absolutely right: you don't need to worry about hardening your roses for winter in Zone 9.
Agriform tablets include time-release components that won't release too much fertilizer over winter (we hope). As for the estimate of up to two years, I take that will a grain of salt. There are three sizes available. The warmer the soils and the more they are watered, the faster the fertilizers will be released. That's one of the biggest problems with time-release fertilizers: we can't be sure when they're used up without testing the soil, nor can we control the rate of release. For example when the weather is brutally hot in late June and July, roses can take a little snooze. But the fertilizers will be released at the maximal rate at that time - - good for lawns, not good for roses.
If the choice is...I do nothing because I have so little available time...or I use the Agriform tablets, I'd still say use the tablets.
I am firmly contrarian on rose fertilizing. I prefer a product that can be applied once a year (at spring pruning time) and is effective for 6 to 9 months. I consider the nitrogen content of the tablets too high. Depending on the maturity of your garden soils and your location, you might not need potassium or phosporus at all - - or your soils might need greater proportions of both. If your county extension provides free soils tests, that's a service that will give you a lot of information about how to fertilize your roses.
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