Carol: The problem with organics is LOW NPK, such as NPK of worm casting is 1-0-0 (zero potassium), and NPK of fish fertilizer is 5-1-1 (only 1 in potassium is too low). but Nature's Care Organic (green box picture above) has HIGH NPK 10-3-6 which is VERY GOOD with 10 for nitrogen, 3 for phosphorus, and 6 for potassium, plus it's cheap for $7 on Amazon. I used such NPK for my roses in spring and each Austin had 20 to 40 blooms.
FISH FERTILIZER or any fertilizer (especially high potassium) IS GOOD FOR GLOSSY LEAVES. GLOSSY leaves can take the salt in fertilizer better than matte leaves. Clay soil is more fertile (higher in salt) and glossy leaves do well in clay soil. Alkaline minerals (calcium, potassium, phosphorus) are tied up in soil as SOLID, and cannot be released unless there's acidic rain (pH 4.5) or acidic fish fertilizer to break it down.
Fish fertilizer has trace elements to activate the alkaline minerals. Fish fertilizer is MUCH LOWER in salt than chemical fertilizer. So fish fertilizer IS GOOD BOTH FOR glossy leaves and matte leaves. But high-salt fertilizer like GRANULAR chicken manure or Rose Tone will produce brown burns on matte leaves (can't handle the salt in granular fertilizer, esp. in pots). I would dilute the SOLUBLE fertilizer at NPK 20-20-20 into 1/2 for matte leaves.
In hot & dry with alkaline tap water, ACIDIC FISH FERTILIZER is great to dissolve the alkaline minerals into SOLUBLE form for plants to use.
The alkaline minerals (calcium, potassium, phosphorus) DO NOT MOVE DOWN fast like nitrogen (nitrogen mobility is a 10) ... so they need to be broken down by an acid (like phosphoric acid in fish fertilizer) or acidic rain or acidic gypsum (with 17% sulfur) to reach roots.
I DO NOT USE ACIDIC GYPSUM WHEN THERE IS ACIDIC RAIN, that's too much acid for roots to handle and roses break out in black spots. NO ACIDIC GYPSUM for dark green leaves like Augusta Luise either. Augusta Luise does well for Khalid's alkaline sandy soil. Coarse sand (yellow sand) drains fast plus it's alkaline & good for dark-green leaves.
Also gypsum (calcium sulfate) or lime (calcium carbonate at pH 13) is best used in 1/2 amount compared to potassium. Calcium is best applied in TINY AMOUNT rather a bunch.
Alfalfa pellets is low-salt, and is BEST for MATTE leaves roses (which can't take salty fertilizer like glossy leaves). Consider the salt in fertilizer: 10% salt in chicken manure or cow manure, ammonium nitrate at salt-index of 104, muriate of potash or potassium chloride at 116.2, and potassium sulfate or sulfate of potash at 43, phosphorus is at 24 salt-index).
Glacial rock dust is alkaline & has salt and is best for GLOSSY LEAVES roses. Rock dust is better than lime since it has trace elements besides calcium, lime has ONLY calcium, and too much calcium can make leaves pale plus less blooms & smaller blooms. I don't use lime unless I see calcium deficiency (tips wilting), or low pH (leaves curl up, thinner leaves, black spot). Lime is best as dolomitic lime (has both calcium and magnesium, and magnesium is needed to retain potassium). Epsoma Garden Lime has some magnesium.
I tested the Alpha Chemical Sulfate of Potash NPK 0-0-50 (very high in potassium) and I COULD NOT DISSOLVE IN my alkaline tap water at pH 9. So I had to use vinegar to dissolve that. I use 1 Tablespoon of that per 2 gallon of water (small bucket). The problem with alkaline minerals like potassium: they remain a solid and plants cannot digest that, UNLESS there's acid (like phosphoric acid in fish fertilizer) or tons of acidic rain (pH 4.5).
Rose tissue analysis shows the best ratio for roses is A bit higher in nitrogen than potassium (esp. for pots), but only 1/2 calcium compared to potassium, and 1/10 of phosphorus compared to potassium. Too much phosphorus attract pests (thrips, midge, rose slugs), and too much chemical nitrogen (fast release) also attract aphids, so nitrogen is best as ORGANIC, such as MiracleGro Nature's Care SOLUBLE fertilizer at NPK 10-3-6 with 10 for nitrogen or fish fertilizer at NPK 5-1-1 with 5 for nitrogen.
Outdoor Osmocote has NPK of 19-6-12, with 19 for nitrogen and 12 for potassium is perfect ratio for roses in pots, plus it's slow-released so it won't attract aphids.
Re-post Tahir Khan's tips for roses in pots, my comments are in Italics:
"Keep it alkaline at 7.5 pH. (rain is acidic at pH 4.5).
End of winter: top with 60% soil and 40% cow manure.(cow manure has phosphorus & trace elements but these need acidic rain water to move down, also manure is salty and best diluted with spring rain). Rose tone is much better than cow manure !!
Early spring: prune roses. Two weeks later: feed with SOLUBLE NPK 20-20-20 for fast growth (one teas in 2 liters of water). (MG-SOLUBLE for roses is safe to use in cool weather and lots of rain that leach out salt plus nitrogen, but stop it when the temp. reaches 80 F and switch to ORGANIC SOLUBLE for less salt).
Add trace elements. (in fish fertilizer). A month after 1st flush, give high potassium fertilizer. (need an acid to convert potassium into SOLUBLE form for plants to use). After rainy season, add trace elements (trace elements are in fish, alfalfa meal, Rose Tone, chicken manure).
Q