The following is a log of what I started doing today...and I think I am getting over my head now...I have decided not to kill my plants...and so currently, I am gonna put mushroom compost and 1tbsp of dissolved epsom salt in the 1 gallon of water until I figure this other stuff out...
Here is what I have
Blood Meal
Bone Meal
Cottonseed Meal
Fish Emulsion
Epsom Salt
Chelated Iron
Mushroom Compost
Milogranite
Below is the log of this morning....I have your traditional stuff..Like Bayer 3 in 1, miracle grow, osmocote, gosh I have a lot of supplies....any way....Seriously at a loss....will be back later but I don't want to kill my roses...I don't think I have put so much that I will but I don't want to put anymore until I figure this out.....please help.............
I have opted to feed my gardens, roses first, with Epsom Salt today. Since I have a lot of plants, I researched whether I could put the salts in the Miracle Gro feeder I have.
Decided to use my spray but I am going to make sure that the Epsom Salt is dissovled first. At least this is what I am reading on this Website.
I considered putting in Miracle gro in the sprayer to add color but I read many things against this. I read a receipe on ARS website that had a receipe for established bushes. I have currently blood meal and espom salts. Considering buying the other stuff, today. Fertilizers: When and How
The bare roots had a couple of handle shovel full of mushroom compost...hey I am trying, right?
I, also, have mulch around the stem which is gonna make getting to the drip line hard. I want to add ingredients via dissolved water.
I do have blood meal, may put a little on the roses. Not as much as I am seeing they do..but honestly, I only have a bag...so will add a little. Maybe next year I will do this better. Link about bloodmeal
Decided not to use Miracle Gro on the bare roots, they are too sensitive. I think I will just mix the solution of Epsom salt in the buckets...more work but it's better to be on the save side.
Probably needed to do this yesterday, when I pruned.
I should have soaked the bare roots in Epsom salt solution. The four that are coming in I will do this. I have gotten into information overload. Decided 1 tablespoon per gallon...and holding my breath.......
I, accidently, gave the driveway roses two tbsp per gallon vs one....good thing they are big and established...will not use the measuring cup..will find tablespoon measurer. Put three scoops of mushroom compost after pulling back the mulch. The mulch did maintain moisture. Cut more of the dead stems and canes off.
This is an all day process, probably will be two next year...but it's not an every week thing so worth it. Red maple also received two tbsp of epsom salt dissolved in one gallon. It was previously given mushroom compost.
Temperatures in upper 60s and due to rain tomorrow. Clear signs of coming out of dormancy on roses.
Went to co-op and picked up the following
Fish Emulsion
Milogranite
Mushroom Compost
Bone Meal
Cottonseed Meal
Now I am worried I am gonna burn the plants. For the plants I gave blood meal to, I am not going to milogranite too...I only sprinkled it...like a tbsp but I don't want to push it..will use milogranite over blood meal for the rest of roses..hope I didn't burn them....will not do anything on the roses I just did and pray I didn't hurt them...I don't think so but I don't want to push it further....
Also have chelated iron...starting to think to span this over a few weeks.... Now I am lost...I think I will continue composting and no more bloodmeal...I think for the moment, I am gonna do the mushroom compost and the epsom salt until I figure this out....help!
In defense....last year my plants had more flowers than foliage...prob cause I alway fertilized with high phosphorus fertilizers...so I do think they need nitrogen amendments because I had lots of flower but not a ton of foliage......
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| Some type of liquid that stops black spot very expensive, spectraside, bayer 2 in 1 here, osmocote |
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| Blood Meal, Cottonseed Meal, Fish Emulsion, Bone Meal, Alunimum sulfate, and other general fertilizers..I know I have chelated iron somewhere |
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| Milogranite |
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| Epsom |
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| Mushroom Compost,...I also have vermiculite, top soil, peat moss, etc..... |
Panicked, clean the house before my husband killed me, sat on the backporch to chill out and suddenly something caught my eye.
A deep yellow rose had opened. It was the Ch-ching and when I saw it....suddenly everything was okay...I had four hours to do this and I was going to ....this is why I garden.....what an instant calm...how is that for homeopathic medicine......yeah, I'm a little spastic sometimes...
915pm....well, I finished right at sundown...or rather...I stopped at sundown..because I would have kept working but all the plants I pruned had been composted and given a dose of Epsom salt...I will pray that someone who knows more than me (which isn't hard) will give me some sage advice...I have read a ton of receipes but it felt like too much too soon...
I did learn some things today...mulch is good for three things..looks, keeping in moisture, and keeping a plant warm...it will deter weeds but it won't completely get rid of them...I also understood about not going against the stem...when I pulled the mulch I realized that keeping it against the stem probably causes black spot and other related issues....,also, its hard to get at the plant to give it food, etc....I pulled back the mulch and will probably keep it back.
I also found out why people don't like blackscreen as much..in cleaning the front beds...it's a pain...I think it would work better if you used it where you DoNT plant anything and have killed the grass underneath first...I'm not saying that it doesn't help but its a pain to deal with in clean up....Anyway, after all that fed the family red beans and rice...showered (felt human again because Im sure I didn't look it...and lied on the couch with the two doxies..who insist on pushing me off the couch...
It was a beautiful day..mid 60's .greenhouse was 108 F and no, not a typo...felt like March or April....are you sure it's winter....anyway, I think tomorrow I will put some more plants in the ground..I have lot to go...night, all
9 comments:
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I'm reluctant to jump in with too much advice, except for this. Many experts say, 'feed your soil, not your plants.'
I looked at where you mentioned bareroot roses. They need to establish roots before you hit them with more food than they can take in. One of the sites you linked mentions 'established' plants which means those who have reached the leap stage. Don't mistake the recipe for large rose bushes as appropriate for a baby, any more than you'd feed a steak to an infant.
Epsom salts is nothing more than magnesium sulfate, a trace element. Plants only need a trace. It won't really hurt; you are just wasting product. You can hurt with too much N'P'K and burn your plants.
I used to go out and gather fairly fresh cow patties when we ran cows here and put them around my rose bushes in late winter. No cows any more, so I just use compost.
About the end of February I will use a modified Hooker's solution -- the recipe on the site you linked that uses Fish Emulsion. I give it according to size. Big bushes get a gallon, little bushes get about a quart, new bareroots probably not at all until they get going.
I rarely use chemicals, so I will not address some of the pesticides you use. I give aphids a soap bath. Black spot gets baking soda bath and mostly just picked off. I am not a rosarian, I just have some old roses and floribundas in what is primarily a butterfly garden, so toxic sprays are not used here.
Maybe Holley can tell you where I've steered you wrong.
Yesterday, I went to the co-op where I visit often. A lady there, Dina, I plague with a million questions. She frowned a bit when I mentioned about the epsom salt. I am not a big organic person as a lot of others...although that being said, I feel like I did feed them too much last year with the synthetics. She mentioned that I will "tie up" the phosphorus. This year, I am going to be a lot more conservative. I didn't anything more then the mushroom compost and the epsom salt. With the exception of what I did above. When I didn't feed my flowers at all, they didn't bloom. One thing I am really sure of is they need water in this high heat. But I will use more subtle (i.e organic methods) this year. She said in the middle of next month, to give them a little Osmocote. The other thing that worked wonderfully me was Bayer 3-1. I fed them twice as often as recommended but at half strength...this year, I am going to be nicer to my plants. I do plan on using the Bayer, but I will use it as recommended. I have heard fish emulsion works too...I need to pick a direction...I have heard of the Hooker's solution too. Thanks...I will look it up...I do think that the plants are heavy feeders but I think I put too much "salts? or synthetics?" and I will have to pay the piper if I continue.
When I seek information, I lean heavily to University web sites or articles by established writers with known credentials.
I was curious about that 'epsom salts binding phosphorus' -- it's addressed in this article, substantiated by research at Washington State University:
Linda Chalker-Scott WSU
Here's an article from Fine Gardening that explains What various supplements actually DO in the garden.
Fine Gardening
-- I hope I got the HTML correct and you can actually read these articles.
Your comments posted including the links ....At least from my end.
The lady was saying that my excessive use of miracle gro high phosphorus blends like rose food, and flower booster would eventually tie up something (phosphorous?...I'm ADHD. When I say I am ADHD...what happens is people tell me something and I really want to know what people are saying to me because it is important but it just doesn't register like I would like...it is truly a disability of mine...so please forgive me if it seems like I am ignoring what you are saying to me)
Anyway, she really didn't give an opinion on the epsom salt other than a frown.
I read the articles....to be honest (remember I am a newbie and ADHD) I am not sure what to make of them...other than the effects are short term..please don't be aggravated with me...I just didn't register what it was trying to say aside from it's not a cure all and the effects are short term...this is my first time using Epsom salt.
One thing I wanted to mention and get input is that my flowers were very "bloomy" but little foliage, last year...
So Nell...what has worked for you and what hasn't...and why...I saw you write about the Hooker's solution...what do you feed your roses, and how often do you feed your roses...and did they give you the desired effects? I want to hear your personal experiences...
I realize there are variables that come into play..
Soil, rose cultivar, sunlight, placement, drainage, pests, but I would love to hear what you do throughout the year, and what you feel gave you the best results....
"I would love to hear what you do throughout the year, and what you feel gave you the best results...."
I modify Hookers solution to suit my needs and what I have. I only feed once a year with that, when the weather starts to warm, about a month after pruning. It is not my intent to have an exhibition garden.
Soil: use what you have. We got a semi load of gin trash more than 10 years back -- free -- hauling was dear. I compost everything from zuchinnis to wood chips. I'm going to look tomorrow in the corn field where a man was picking up scrap corn for his hogs, he shucked the corn and left the shucks. Sometimes I scoop up wood ashes after we burn a pile of limbs.
Rose cultivars: old roses and floribundas. There is one Hybrid tea, Eclipse and one Grandiflora, Queen Elizabeth. Knockouts in pink red and yellow. White Dawn because I couldn't find New Dawn locally and so on.
I did not set out to build a rose garden; I plant roses the way I plant azaleas or lilies or crape myrtles, for effect. My garden joy is in the growing, from a seed, bulb or tiny cutting.
Sunlight: I have high shade, deep shade, dappled shade and bright sunshine. In the south, some things beg shade that are labeled full sun.
Placement: I always plant too close. It was hard for me to imagine that a seedling loropetalum is going to be 15 feet tall one day. I do obey my rule that there has to be a 54" width to all the paths for the mower. I leave a lot of open space because of snakes. I respect non-poisonous snakes and the good work they do.
Drainage: little worries about drainage when you garden in loamy sand. I work with my terrain to keep water flowing but not eroding soil.
Pests: in the greenhouse, I depend on anoles, peeper frogs, ladybugs and the cat to exterminate whatever come in except for fire ants. I'm experimenting with a new fire ant remedy. When you start with chemicals in a greenhouse, you have to keep them up. I hand pick bugs and cut off foliage if necessary, even toss plants if soap spray won't take care of pests the crew can't handle.
Outside, I use as few pesticides as possible because my main theme is to attract butterflies. No systemics, no harsh chemical sprays. My fav story is about the ladies at a famous destination garden who planted a butterfly garden and then squished the 'worms' that came to the host plants.
Throughout the year I am reading, making lists, pulling weeds as I walk around, saving and planting seeds, rooting cuttings, hauling stones, widening paths, trading cuttings, salvaging, and standing and staring.
Everywhere I plant I bear in mind that if things get difficult, there's a bulldozer out back.
The best advice for you will come from rosarians who garden under similar conditions as you. Don't ask someone in New England what you should do in Florida. Find Experts on growing in Florida.
University of Florida Trial Gardens
This is the link I should have posted:
University of Florida Trial Gardens: Roses
Wow, awesome...and thanks!
That find was nice...I,also, found this one.....
http://www.ars.org/pdfs/fertilizer_primer.pdf
As you grow your garden, you will learn to let the plants tell you what they need, as evidenced by the roses that bloomed like crazy last year at the expense of growing more foliage and larger bushes. You'll learn what the little diamond shaped brown leaf tips mean, what pale green vs. darkest green means, just by observation.
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