Hi! Finally this shows up. When Houzz notified me of the post yesterday, it "didn't exist" which is why I responded to you via private message. I think what you have available there should work. Whatever the recommended concentration and application frequencies are, cut the concentration in half and double the rate. If they recommend a table spoon per gallon every other week, use half table spoon per gallon, weekly. Hence, "weakly, weekly". Yes, foliar feeding works. Not AS well as to the roots, but I've used it in combination with the root feeding with no ill effects.

You wrote that you have much rain and salt build up isn't an issue due to the rain. Will the pots be out in the rains, also? The main issue with fertilizing in pots is often that since they must be watered more frequently than plants in the ground, the nitrogen flushes through the potting soil and out with the irrigation water, leading to deficiencies. I would expect salt build up here in Southern California because of our extreme aridity and our highly alkaline, "salty" water. I've not experienced that issue following this. Not to say it wouldn't be possible, but keeping the pots sufficiently watered and using sufficiently low doses of the fertilizers shouldn't result in an salt build up nor salt burn.

Yes, I'd supply all of the nutrients even though you aren't allowing the plant to flower. Potassium doesn't JUST push flowers. The plants will use what's available, so give them all they require. You don't want too soft, sappy growth, but stronger, sturdier canes which could, if allowed, produce and hold perfect blooms. Let the plants try to "ovulate" (bloom), just don't let them waste the energy doing it. Instead, direct that energy into pushing new canes, new foliage, in an effort to produce more flowers. Keep repeating that cycle until the plant is as large and mature as you wish, or you run out of season.

Any other sources on TPN? Not that I'm aware of. Total Parental Nutrition is actually a medical idea where patients are intravenously fed "fat bags" which contain all of the required nutrition the patient requires. My mother had long term health issues and my siblings and I became far too familiar with the product and the medical need. This method of pushing a plant into faster size and maturity simply mentally impressed me as being similar to the intravenous fat bag feedings, so I referred to it that way.

The method was developed because a gardening client/friend had a huge rose garden with a locally famous rambling rose which covered an old wooden fence and gate. Arena Roses had photographed Sandy's rose for use in one of his catalogs. She was planning her annual open garden and the rambler died from crown gall. She needed something to replace the plant which had some size and maturity to it. Her garden contained all types of roses, but it was well known for its collection of older garden roses and she wanted an Old Garden Rose for this position. I was managing an Old Rose Nursery at the time and when she called, there was nothing I could offer her which would provide the size and maturity she desired. So, I selected the types of roses I thought would go well in her garden and began developing those plants in hopes of her liking one (or more!) for her open garden.

I had Climbing Teas, Tea Noisettes, Noisettes and Hybrid Musks which would be suitable, and I planted several of each into fifteen gallon nursery cans of our potting soil and began providing the continuous feeding, consistent watering and not permitting them to flower. Several months later, she arrived to examine the roses and decided on a Cl White Maman Cochet for her gate. It required three of us to load this into her mini van. The plant was taller than her van was long and it wrapped around the driver's and passenger's seats, filling the center of the van with the container just fitting into the luggage well at the back end of the van. The rose was perfect for the gate and appeared as if it had been growing in its position all along.

Is this "required"? No. Does it work? Absolutely! It's not all that different from what florists did with roses for many years in Victorian and Edwardian European cities. Rambling roses were pushed into bloom as mature specimen for holiday decorations. Bulbs, roses and other plant types were pushed to flower out of season, often as fairly mature plants, for florist use and plant shows. What's the difference? You want/need larger plants, faster. Whether it's because you want them for garden planting or to sell clients of display at horticultural exhibits, you want large, quickly. Giving them the room and all the resources they require, then preventing them from the functions which limit the speed of their growth will provide that. Try it!

I love how comprehensive this reply is. We are in lockdown again (containment zone) and I'll have nothing much to do for 2 weeks. I'll try this out, while I also use hobby electronics to build a timed mister :) . Thank you so much.

You're welcome! It can really make a world of difference, particularly with weak growers. Very often Teas and Tea-Noisettes can be very slow to develop larger root systems and mature. You can try budding them, which frequently gives them the momentum required to produce decent plants much more quickly, or you can try this method, which can also produce some remarkable results. I frequently use it for weaker seedlings which seem determined to flower themselves to death. Not letting them flower and giving them the best "high culture" possible has resulted in some rather beautiful roses. Good luck on your lock down. I hope you and yours remain safe and secure and your area gets the virus spread under control safely!