Thanks Ken, I will give it a shot. I know I have to water more. I'm hoping to get a drip system for next year.

Great post Ken. While I don't exhibit, I am looking to improve my blooms. This year was a bit disappointing, some of that is likely weather related, but I know I could have done a better job at feeding and watering. Can I ask you when do you stop fertilizing for the season? Am I too late to do this for one last nice flush?

mzstitch---I stop all feeding at the end of September. Go ahead and start today or as soon as possible. You should have beautiful blooms and foliage for Oct.
While I know this sounds like a little work, I personally like the results. I look at it like this; I have invested a little (?) bit of money, time and effort to buy, cultivate and plant my rose's so I can enjoy the blooms that I expect. I can sure spend about 4 hrs a week to take care of them. And most of that time is spent watering. Even if you are working, this can be done. I know. I was a drywall framer, hanger, finisher and custom texture man my entire working life. Yet I found time to take care of a 100 bush garden and exhibit at all the shows in Fl. with a good measure of success. It just boils down to what you want to put back in to your investment.

Wow! Great post! I am a faithful waterer and believe lots of water is a key component but I have to say I've never fertilized that heavily. I do use fish emulsion and think the roses seem to really respond to it well. I guess I'll have to kick it up a notch next spring!

Thank you Ken, I'm heading out tommorrow to get my supplies and will give it a try. I fertilized all my small roses today, all I had been using is Mills Easy liquid which is a 16-6-4 then two weeks later a 10-10-10 granular. So I'm use to mixing up 2 gallon jugs at a time and have no problem investing the time in it. I'll get my supplies and try it with the rest of my roses this week. I'm going to increase the watering as you described as well, can't wait to see the results. Again, thank you for a great post, I've clipped it and learned alot!

By the way, I also feed all my outdoor flowering plants with this formula while I feed the roses. They REALLY like it.

This fall when my roses went in to bloom they had vibrant color and beautiful foliage. Even if I didn't exhibit I would do this feeding regiment just for the beautiful results.

I need to be more diligent about keeping to a schedule with mine. But as the season goes on and they start to look a little worse for wear I stop doing some of the things I should do.

Ken, I have to tell you I gave it a try and was very pleased with the results from my short trial time. I did two feedings about ten days apart, then I decided to stop for the year. My last flush for some of my roses was quite beautiful. Of course I got busy and stopped spraying so blackspot kind of ruined the presentation somewhat but from a distance all you see is beautiful blooms! Thanks Ken, I'm going to try to keep this up next season!

Hey Ken, where do you find the K-Grow. I looked all over and couldn't find it.

I bought a big jug of Neptune fish and seaweed emulsion. I've been using a hose end sprayer and I first do the leaves then put it on the hose setting and water the rose with the emulsion. I like this better than lugging water around. I also do compost and composted manure/alfalfa in early spring. I use the Black Kow, it's amazing.

K-Grow comes from K-Mart They usually have a good shelf full in the spring and I buy all I need then.

Just got back from the big rose show in Tyler, Tx. Hadn't been to a rose show in awhile - really enjoyed it and loved seeing the beautiful colors and huge blooms.

Came home wanting to improve my roses - and found this post. I heard that KMart was no longer selling K-Grow fertilizer. I am going to check on it tomorrow, but if this is so, what other kind of fertilizer do you recommend?

Do you also use things like alfalfa pellets, Epsom salts, cotton seed meal or anything else? I was so impressed with the big blooms - would like to learn how to beef up my blooms and make a healthier overall plantl

Do you like to keep your minis potted or plant them in the ground?
Thanks!
Judith

They closed the KMart nearest to me, I'll have to look for one.

Judith, I use Alfalfa meal twice a year. I also started using seaweed/fish emulsion (Neptune is the brand name). I've been using a hose end sprayer that has different spray patterns so I can first do a foliar feed and then water the roots with the emulsion. It has a slight scent, which disappears in about 20 minutes. I think that has made a huge difference. I've also added something called superthrive, it's a tiny bottle and I add about a teaspoon to each dose when I'm doing the Neptune emulsion. I've never done a soil test, so I don't add any epsom salts or iron. Now that my yard is all dug up and I will be doing new beds, that might be a good idea.

You can get Kgro fertilizers at Kmart online too. One thing I liked about it other than how well my rose performed, was it quickly dissolves in water, unlike other water dissolveable fertilizers that you have to stir and stir before its dissolved. I'm going to look for a hose end sprayer buford, great idea! I too am guilty of never having a soil test. I've been having problems with my alaleas for a couple years so I am testing their soil this fall, perhaps I'll do my roses at the same time!

Am going to K-Mart this afternoon. Have Superthrive. I cant find the Neptune fish emulsion here. I do have several other brands of fish emulsion - will those work as well? Also have the alfalfa pellets, Mills Magic Rose Mix and Rose Tone.

If I cant find the K-Grow, what would be a good substitute? I have Carl Pool's BR 61, Peters, Miracle Gro for Roses and some others. This year, have been busier than normal and must admit I have been derelict about feeding. It is warm enough here that I can get in another feeding or two.

The most impressive mini or mini flora I saw at the show was Nancy Jean. Just HUGE! Heard someone comment that the exhibitor must have used a hair dryer to get it to open up like that. It was gorgeous! Another I liked was Show Stopper - but there were so many gorgeous ones!! The larger roses were beautiful too, but the minis had the most color variation. Inspired me to do a bigger bed for the minis - going to order some of these I admired. Most of the hybrid teas that were exhibited were red or pink/white, some darker pink. No peach, which is my favorite color.

Went to Chamblees yesterday also and brought home more roses, so going to have a fun weekend with this gorgeous weather playing in the rose garden! Very interesting post.......would love to hear more suggestions. Have heard Black Kow is a good topdressing - I have several bags I plan to put out - anyone use it?
Judith

I've used K-Grow, Miracle Grow, Spray n Grow, and just about every other kind of "Grow" you can think of. They all work pretty well. I use a dry, granular time release scratched into the ground in the spring and after that it's all hose end sprayed liquid feeds. My problem is I just don't do it regularly enough.

I use Super Thrive all the time too. I don't know if it really does much but it can't hurt. I also use a fish emulsion, Bill's Perfect Fertilizer from Spray n Grow, and a microbial plant food additive ( I can't think of the name of it). All of these go into the hose end sprayer when I do it. I've never used alfalfa because I can't seem to find it any where around here. Besides, I understand it stinks worse than the fish emulsion!

Seil, I ditto your post - have all this stuff - need to do it regularly. I have so much going on - horse farm to run, lots of flower beds, always buying more, house to keep, grandkids....Keep saying when I get it all planted and organized - can concentrate more on the feeding, etc.

Was happy to find the K-Grow at K-Mart today, the 15-50-15 that Ken suggested. Had 4 small bags, bought them all. Also got Milorganite for the daylilies at Home Depot. Going to water everything well tonight and start fertilizing tomorrow. Maybe when I see how it makes them thrive, I will be motivated to stay on a schedule.

Seil, try your local feed stores or Tractor Supply for alfalfa pellets. I haven't had time to make up the tea, just sprinkle them around the roses and daylilies. They don't smell at all that way. Don't know if the tea is more effective or not.

Thanks to Ken for sharing. After seeing these gorgeous roses at the show, don't see why home gardeners cant have better roses by being more attentive. It was the same thing with showing horses - I worked myself to death training, conditioning, etc. It paid off when I got to the show and won. The people who didn't work their horses 7 days a week, weren't consistent with grooming, feeding, dressing well, having their tack spotless - they didn't place. I really enjoy all that fussing - its just that days aren't long enough and I wear out! But looking forward to trying what Ken suggested!
Judith

I'm in the burbs of Detroit. I couldn't tell you where the closest feed store is, lol! I think there is a Tractor Supply store up north somewhere but I've never seen one around here anywhere.

Tractor Supply has alfalfa pellets. This year I was able to get Alfalfa meal from a supplier that my rose society orders from every year. He has a lot of other stuff too. Also try Amazon, I bought my Neptune from them. I put the alfalfa down dry and then water it in. The Black Kow is great. I usually put that down in the spring.

Buford, someone told me good things about Black Kow and I bought several bags. Haven't put it out yet -should I topdress with it, dig it into the planting holes? How does it benefit? Thanks!
Judith

Judith it's pure composted cow manure, it is not only a fertilizer, but will help condition the soil. If you've bought other composted manure (which is usually dirt with some manure in it) you will be surprised at the difference. Black Kow is just that, pure black (no smell) and rich. You can add it into planting holed or top dress or both.

Black Kow and alfalfa are great stuff. All natural goodies the roses (and ALL my plants and small trees) love. I use milorganite when planting anything into the ground or in pots. Over the years I've used only the K-Grow. I would assume all the other water fertilizers will work just as well. Just watch the nitrogen content to make sure it isn't to high. You end up with a lot of beautiful growth and small messed up blooms. My fall blooms looked great and would compete with anyone. My only problem was my garden bloomed out almost two weeks before our rose show. The roses I got to the show were the last few left in the garden. They did fairly well. Bet (Buford) has pictures posted on the Gwinnette Rose Show post. Results speak better then words.