Fertilizing Roses

Bright Orange and Red Roses Closeup If there is one mistake gardeners make most often with roses, it's not fertilizing properly. Roses are heavy feeders. They need regular applications of a complete fertilizer to stay healthy and bloom vigorously. If your roses bloom nicely in spring but then you barely see a flower the rest of the summer, you're probably not fertilizing properly.

Roses need three primary nutrients:

Nitrogen. The most important nutrient, nitrogen promotes healthy foliage, vigorous growth and repeat blooms.

Phosphorous. Encourages healthy root growth.

Potassium. Promotes large, colorful blooms.

Fertilizers can contain one of several forms of nitrogen. Fast-acting forms provide a quick response but are used up relatively quickly. Slow-release types of nitrogen take longer to be absorbed by plants but promote sustained growth over a longer period. Bayer Advanced™ Triple Action Rose Food Granules contains an excellent combination of both kinds of nitrogen, fast-acting and slow-release, which provides an immediate response and continues feeding for up to three months. In addition, it contains just the right amount of phosphorous and potassium for a healthy root system and large, colorful blooms.

If you want to fertilize and protect from insects in one easy application, use Bayer Advanced™ 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower Care Granules. One application feeds and protects for up to six weeks.

For potted roses, use the new Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Potting Mix Potting Mix (product discontinued). It's the only potting mix that offers protection against insects, plus you get the added benefit of long lasting fertilizer and moisture control.

Summer Rose Care

Here are a few other tips to keep your roses healthy this summer:

Water. Supplement rainfall as needed. In dry, warm weather water roses deeply once or twice a week. Where black spot is a problem, avoid wetting the foliage when you water.

Renew mulches. Add fresh organic mulch to cool the soil, conserve water and prevent weeds.

Deadhead. Remove spent flowers to promote more bloom. Cut back hybrid teas and grandifloras to at least the first leaf with five leaflets. Remove individual clusters from shrub and floribunda roses or lightly shear plants with hedge shears.

Protect against Japanese beetles. In areas where Japanese beetles are a problem, use Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Concentrate. One application protects for up to 30 days.