Get a fantastic display of blooms, and save some money, with our guide to the best homemade rose fertilizers
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Roses are much-adored plants grown for beautiful and often fragrant blooms that capture the imagination of romantics worldwide. There are thousands of different varieties and types to grow; it is safe to say there is a rose suited to any size or style of garden.
If you grow and care for roses, they can be high-maintenance plants and require a lot of care and attention. That includes fertilizing roses in spring and the summer to achieve that long display of beautiful blooms.
Garden center shelves are stocked with different rose feeds at this time of year, however, if you fancy trying something different, you can make your own rose fertilizer from kitchen waste, other garden plants, or even common household items.
Growing beautiful roses requires providing them with the right nutrients and care While you can buy commercial rose fertilizers, homemade options are inexpensive, safe and work just as well, if not better Homemade fertilizers made from kitchen scraps and garden waste feed roses naturally without the use of synthetic chemicals. They enrich the soil, improve texture and provide a slow, steady release of nutrients for optimal growth and prolific blooms.
Here are 10 foolproof homemade fertilizers for growing the most vibrant roses using common household ingredients:
Used Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are a gardeners’ favorite for acid-loving plants like roses. The grounds have a near perfect pH of around 6.5. When mixed into soil they help lower pH, increase acidity and boost microbial activity. Acidic soil is ideal for roses to uptake nutrients efficiently.
Coffee grounds also contain nitrogen, potassium and other trace elements like copper and magnesium. They lighten heavy clay soils and improve drainage.
Used coffee grounds can be spread around established rose bushes. Add 2-3 handfuls and mix into the top few inches of soil. For new plantings, mix 1 part damp grounds with 2 parts soil in the planting hole.
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Crushed Eggshells
Eggshells are one of the best sources of calcium for plants. Calcium is vital for cell wall development and structure. It makes plants more resistant to diseases and insect attacks. When fruit and leaves develop, ample calcium ensures they don’t develop black spots and have stronger tissues.
Thoroughly rinse eggshells and let them dry. Crush into a powder before adding to soil or compost. The smaller the pieces, the quicker calcium will be released as the shells break down.
For new plantings, add 1⁄4 cup crushed shells to the planting hole and mix well. To feed established plants, sprinkle crushed shells around the base every couple of months.
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Banana Peels
Banana peels are rich in potassium, as well as other minerals like magnesium, sulfur and phosphorus. Potassium encourages blooming and enhances the rose’s perfume. It also helps plants survive harsh weather and makes them more disease resistant.
Chop peels from overripe bananas into small pieces. Bury pieces 2-3 inches deep in the soil around rose bushes or add chopped peels to compost. For new plantings, bury 2-3 peels just beneath the root ball.
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Epsom Salt
Epsom salt contains magnesium which plays a key role in photosynthesis, nitrogen absorption, and the production of essential oils that give roses their heavenly fragrance. Magnesium deficiency causes yellowing between veins and poor flowering.
Dissolve 1 tablespoon Epsom salt in 1 gallon of water. Pour this solution around the base of rose bushes every 2-3 weeks. For new plantings, mix 2 tablespoons per hole and water in well after planting.
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Fish Emulsion
Used tea leaves are another kitchen staple that can be repurposed as an organic rose fertilizer. The tannins in tea acidify soil while providing small amounts of nitrogen. Break open tea bags and sprinkle the dried leaves around rose bushes. Or brew a strong batch of tea, let it cool and use it to water plants. Add used leaves to compost to enrich it further.
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Seaweed Fertilizer
Seaweed is rich in micronutrients like iron, magnesium, zinc and manganese that promote healthy growth. It contains plant growth hormones that boost flowering and fruiting. Seaweed also helps plants withstand drought, frost and other environmental stress.
Buy liquid seaweed fertilizer or make your own by fermenting seaweed – simply pack chopped seaweed into a bucket of water for 4-6 weeks. Use either to drench soil around roses every 2-4 weeks during the growing season.
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Compost Tea
Compost tea provides a mega boost of nutrients, microbes and beneficial fungi to enhance soil health and plant immunity. Place a few shovelfuls of finished compost into a burlap sack and steep in a bucket of non-chlorinated water for 3-7 days. Stir and squeeze the bag daily to aerate and extract nutrients. Filter, dilute and apply the compost tea as a soil drench or foliar spray.
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Apple Cider Vinegar
The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar controls fungal diseases like black spot, powdery mildew and downy mildew on roses.
Mix 3 tablespoons vinegar in 1 gallon of water. Transfer to a spray bottle and mist tops and bottoms of leaves and stems of infected plants. Repeat every 7-10 days as a preventative. The solution will also repel aphids.
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Milk Spray
The calcium in milk strengthens cell walls and prevents black spot infestation. Milk also contains beneficial bacteria that prevent pathogens from attacking roses.
Make a spray by mixing 1 part milk with 9 parts water. Add a few drops of dish soap and spray on leaves, stems and buds every 10-14 days. The caseins and whey proteins in milk also give the leaves a glossy shine!
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Dish Soap
Dish soap can be used occasionally (no more than once a month) as a safe insecticide to control aphids, spider mites, thrips, whiteflies and other pests on roses. It works by dissolving the waxy coating on insect bodies, causing dehydration and death.
Mix 2 teaspoons mild liquid soap with 1 quart water. Transfer to a spray bottle and mist leaves, stems and buds thoroughly. Try this only as a last resort if infestations are severe.
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Along with these homemade fertilizers, roses need adequate water, full sun, pruning and protection from diseases and pests. By feeding them homemade plant food made from everyday kitchen ingredients, you’ll soon have the most magnificent roses that rival any commercial garden!
ORGANIC ROSE FERTILIZERS YOU CAN FIND RIGHT INSIDE YOUR KITCHEN
Tea leaves are full of naturally occurring tannins. Tannins are acidic in nature and when added to the soil makes it acidic in nature as well. This is exactly what the roses need as they thrive exceedingly well in acidic soil. Tea leaves also contain small amounts of nitrogen, which help in plant growth.
So if you’re a tea drinker, don’t discard those tea bags yet. Just collect and dump them in your compost and apply the compost as a top dressing. Or soak the used teabags in water for a few hours and water the plants with it. Or you can simply remove the spent tea leaves from the bags and spread it on the top soil. Just remember though, that tea leaves by themselves are not a full rose food substitute.
Egg shells are a great source of calcium. Calcium helps to strengthen plant cells and block pathogens from entering the plant body. Calcium also helps strengthen the roots of plants allowing them to absorb more nutrients from the soil. Besides nitrogen and potassium, roses require large amounts of calcium to grow well.
Since egg shells are slow to decompose in their original state, it is best to crush them into tiny pieces and incorporate them into the compost or soil. Before you do that though, make sure to wash and dry them thoroughly. Otherwise pathogens from the eggs might get added to the soil causing more diseases.
Ripe banana peels are rich in potassium and therefore a great fertilizer for roses. The cool factor with banana peels is that they decompose really quickly, providing a big potassium boost to the plant. Potassium boosts the immune system of plants and protects against disease and insect damage. It also helps the plant survive difficult climatic conditions such as drought and frost. If your notice weak stems, poorly developed buds or yellow leaves with browning edges, your rose plants are telling you they need a dose of good old potassium.
If you are just planting the roses, add 2 or 3 banana peels to the soil to give the plants an early advantage. You can drop a chopped banana peel in the planting hole before placing the plant in. The peel can also be added with the compost to improve the richness of the soil. If you have a plant that is already well established, you can simply drop a banana peel or chopped peel in the soil next to the plant.
Here is a quick homemade food for roses.
WATER FROM BOILING VEGETABLES
Water that you use for cooking your vegetables are also good sources of minerals and nutrients. Don’t throw them away if you’re not using them in your meals. Cool the water and then water your rose plants with it. Just remember that you cannot reuse the water if it contains salt in it.
The humble baking soda in your kitchen also finds good use in the rose garden. It is used to treat plants infected by black spots and powdery mildew.
How to Make Plant Fertilizer with 2 Natural Ingredients | creative explained
FAQ
What is the best natural fertilizer for roses?
Fish meal, alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, and blood meal are good examples of organic plant foods. They can do a lot of good for your roses, but do not forget that they are fertilizers and can do some damage if used improperly.
What is the best homemade rose feed?
- 1 part Rose & Flower Fertilizer. I alternated on using this fertilizer too. (note — I now live in the Sonoran Desert & only grow 1 rose in a container).
- 1 part Alfalfa Meal
- 1/2 part Composted Chicken Manure or Worm Castings
Do coffee grounds really help roses?
Coffee tends to be slightly acidic and is therefore good for acid-loving plants such as hydrangeas, as well as nutrient-hungry plants like roses, but again …May 12, 2023
How do you make rose fertilizer?
Once it’s time to start using, I mix banana peels and coffee in equal parts. I add crushed egg shells and Epsom salts half the amount of the banana peels. Mix. To use, I make a small trench around the drip line of the roses and sprinkle the mixture in.
How to make homemade rose fertilizer?
If you want the best blossoms from your plants, then here are some of the most fantastic Homemade Rose Fertilizer Recipes for you! Take one cup each of alfalfa meal, fish meal, gypsum, greensand, and mix them with half a cup of bone meal. Fill all of these ingredients in a large bucket and mix well. Don’t forget to wear a dust mask while mixing.
How do you fertilize a rose garden?
Follow these simple recipes using household ingredients to concoct fertilizer for your rose garden: 1. Compost Tea Place compost and Epsom salts in a burlap sack or reusable teabag. Soak in water overnight. Apply the diluted “tea” to moist soil around roses. 2. Coffee Ground Fertilizer Combine ingredients.
What is the best fertilizer for rose plants?
Alfalfa is one of the best overall organic amendments for rose plants, resulting in more vigorous growth and increased bloom production. Alfalfa is one of the best homemade fertilizers for rose plants. Coffee grounds can be sprinkled evenly around the base of rose plants at any time during the growing or starting season for a boost of nitrogen.
How do you fertilize Roses with molasses?
Instructions: Mix the molasses with a gallon of water. Use the liquid to water your roses once a month during the growing season. Tips for applying and using the fertilizer: Use unsulphured blackstrap molasses for best results. Avoid using too much molasses, as this can make the soil too acidic. How do you make coffee ground fertilizer for Roses?
How often should you fertilize rose bushes?
Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Epsom salts around the base of the plant. This will promote foliar and cane development. Continue to fertilize every 3 to 4 weeks as the roses are establishing but only with a mild fertilizer such as fish emulsion. Avoid using full-strength fertilizers on newly planted rose bushes. Are homemade fertilizers good for Roses?
What makes tea leaves a good fertilizer for roses?
As roses love tannic acid that naturally occurs in tea leaves, it’ll be great to fertilize them with used leaves or tea bags. Tea leaves also make the soil porous and create a favorable environment for the growth of these flowers.