most peeps avoid direct use of alfalfa.. and actually make a tea from it ... for easier and more precise application..

tell us about what and how you applied it... too mcuh of anything is usually not good..

i once had a glorious golden retriever...just the greatest dog.. anyway.. i was making a new bed.. and i added green sand.. and a bag of alfalfa.. and a bunch of other stuff.. [what a waste of money in hindsight..].. anyway.. the dam dog started rooting out all the alfalfa pellets.. and then he just about killed me with his super high fiber diet gas for the next week or so... what a nimrod.. lol ... and when you wasnt eating that.. he would eat rabbit poop .... which are basically somewhat pre digested fiber pellets... i slept with the windows open for a week .. lol.. good time.. good times.. lol ...

so far you have applied a fungicide.. and a bug spray [at least i think that is what the 3 in 1 is]..... seems a bit heavy handed.. as you are only now.. asking what the problem is.. just stop all application of chemicals until you figure it out..

perhaps you local county extension office can help you....

ken

Usually with fertilizing, I tend to go the weekly/weakly method. I'm fairly new to roses, so everything has been trial and error. I used way less than the recommended amt and just lightly dug some in around the rose. Other than the dealing with the usual sawfly episode (every year), I didn't do anything different. I'll wait it out and see what happens. I did make an alfalfa tea and used on other plants and they look great. I think I'll stick to that. Thanks, Ken.

“I fertilized my roses with alfalfa pellets for the first time and not long after that I noticed one of my roses had brown buds.”

“I really feel like maybe the alfalfa contributed to this.”

1. “… not long after…” Time interval, please.

2. ”Really” belies ”maybe”.

The browning around the edges looks like thrip dama==========================g=e========== ==t=o me

I think you got it, Vapor. Diane

Rose buds not opening or balling up is usually caused by either botrytis, or thrips. To determine which I take a balling up rose bud, and slice it down the middle, and if there are tiny insects in it, I have thrips, and need to spray an insecticide.

Botrytis is a disease that usually appears when it is rainy and cool in the spring, or later in the fall when it is damp and cool. You prevent it by spraying Daconil in cooler wet weather.

All this said, I don't see evidence in your photos of botrytis, or thrips. Your photos don't show evidence of roses balling up. But, maybe there is more evidence, and I am not seeing it.

I suggest you slice a partially blooming rose down the middle and inspect it for thrips.