rose fertilizer, seems to work well!

Rose and tomato fertilizers seem to be almost identical formulations..........why the manufacturers find it necessary to be so plant specific is a bit of a mystery :-) A balanced (all 3 numbers the same) or a 3-3-2 ratio works well for just about any kind of plant!! And you do not need to buy a half dozen different kinds!

Garden gal , I wanted to ask you about " root blast ". Sold on qvc, I'll admit I bought it but I wanted to know what you think, you have been so helpful.

http://www.qvc.com/Rootblast-Set-of-Two-Growth-Formula%2C-25-lb-Jars.product.H283295.html?sc=SRCH

Hoping it's legit and not just people excited about it for nothing :)

I'm sure there will be others with differing opinions but root stimulators of any kind have little horticultural merit. And I don't mean rooting hormones used when taking cuttings....that's a different situation.

But there's any number of these products on the market and the advertising and reviews make them sound like they are some sort of magic plant potion when in reality a healthy rooted plant needs no other encouragement to grow well other than light, water and decent soil :-) There has been no scientific testing to substantiate any of the claims these products make and they generally contain nothing special that would account for so-called 'remarkable' results other than wishful thinking.

I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase any but if you already have it, I doubt it would hurt to use it. One thing that HAS been well-established is that newly planted plants should not be fertilized and since this is a weak fertilizer in some respects, I would not recommend using it on new stuff. Which kind of defeats the whole intent of the product :-))

Thank you I appreciate it ! Well , what's done is done , I can't undo it but I won't buy again . I've wasted money on worse ( bags of dirt not picked up! Haha )

I use Osmocote also on all my gardens once a year in the spring. Our dirt is pretty good. At one time it use to be a farm and an apple orchard. You just reminded me I have to order some more from Amazon they carry an 8 lb bag. I can't find the bags in stores around here. I usually go through 12 lbs on my gardens.

I throw handfuls of alfalfa pellets on mine after I prune them and maybe some Rose Tone.

I just went to check on the clems I planted last fall and was thrilled to find that they're all sending up new shoots! They're pruned and ready for spring. Unfortunately, I'm leaving town tomorrow for a couple of months, and I'll have to instruct my husband on any fertilizer needs. Should I do anything special? I used quite a bit of compost in the holes I dug when I planted them, per Debbie at Silver Star's instructions, and mulched with compost and leaves (which have mostly composted as well at this point). Should I tell DH to hit them with a little Miracle Gro or anything?

Another vote for alfalfa, clematis love it. I learned it from our local master gardener who is taking care of a garden at the nearby churchyard and she just have the pellets worked into the ground every spring. But, if there are bunnies around, then I would recommend alfalfa tea instead of pellets. It made a huge difference for my clemmies, which did fine when I used compost but then bloomed and rebloomed even more abundantly after getting alfalfa tea.

Also alfalfa pellets and Rose Tone.

I would not use Miracle Gro, it is made for potted annuals...

It wouldn't necessarily be my first choice but Miracle Gro fertilizer (the blue stuff you mix with water) can be used on any plant. There is nothing about it that restricts its use to potted annuals........

If you have wild bunnies to deal with you can get alfalfa meal instead of pellets. I get it at the feed store for the lawn.