Feeding UK Roses – The secrets to longer & stronger blooms

Feeding roses is sooo important because they are hungry for nutrition.

I bought our rose back in 2015.

It’s been super healthy for nearly all that time.

And in my view, the reason it’s healthy is because of feeding it properly and treating the soil well.

On the contrary, my mum bought a rose at the same time as me abut hers died just a few years later. Probably due to lack of feeding or treating.

So, in this post I’m sharing the secrets to feeding your roses.

I’ll cover exactly which products to use – I use 100% organic plant feed products.

I’ll help you understand when is the best time of year to start feeding your roses and when you should stop.

I’ll also give you the amounts needed per plant for you to make sure you only buy what you need and don’t have to store any rose feed over the Winter.

To help you out with having lovely roses all through the year, we’ve created a full year’s rose feed kit. It’s the exact amount of feed and mulch depending on how many plants you have.

Which types of roses need feeding?

Essentially all types of roses will benefit from a feed. Container roses will likely need more care in terms of watering but they will need slightly less mulch than roses in borders.

Whether,you have a climber, shrub or a rambler, they will benefit hugely from an effective feeding regime.

In turn, your garden will benefit and your proudness in success will be elevated too.

The first feed of the year

Before we enter the blooming season around March or early April, you’ll want to give it it’s first feed.

This will be in the form of a granular Blood, Fish & Bonemeal feed. BF & B is a balanced organic feed that helps with the following

• Boosting early growth
• Strengthening root system after a harsh Winter
• Increased photosynthesis

How much BF&B do you need when feeding roses?

You really don’t need much at all. Around 70g per m2 (or per plant).

How is BF&B applied?

Simply fork the granules into the soil around the base of the plant.

Try not to touch the stems of the rose bush because it can sometimes cause problems for the stalks.

Mulching your rose bushes straight after feeding

Straight after doing the first feed of the year, it’s time to add a layer of mulch.

Remember though, you only need to do this once a season.

This comes in the form of organic matter e.g. Farmyard Manure and is spread onto the soil around the base of the plant.

Again try not touch the stem of the plant for the same reasons as above.

Why use mulch?

Mulching them will ensure the soil stays fertile for the whole season.

It will also help the soil to retain moisture so they don’t fry out on the hottest of days.

Of course, you’ll still need to water them in a drought.

But mulching them will stop them drying out too soon and thereby help them keep the blooms stronger for longer.

How much mulch to use

I personally don’t believe there’s a right or wrong amount here. Some people say to do 5cm deep for 1m2 around the rose.

But that means you’ll need 50 litres for one bush.

To me, that’s overkill. And it’s probably the people selling mulch who will tell you this – wink, wink.

Applying Follow-up feeds

About 8-12 weeks after mulching your rose bushes, you’ll need to apply a second feed of blood, fish and bone.

This is applied in the same way as the first application.

What you’ll need for feeding roses

If you’re gardening refgularly, you\ll probably already have everything you need to fulfil the tasks above

Here’s the list :

• Gloves
• Shaker or bowl for measuring out the feed
• Hand fork or 3-pronged hand cultivator
• Mulch