Quality rose plants can be expensive to purchase and require a bit of TLC to ensure they look their best. Rose care starts from the beginning, with a well-drained compost or soil, positioned in a sunny spot. We may water on a regular basis but how often is feeding roses forgotten?

What type of fertilisers are there and how do they differ?

There are 4 main types of fertiliser; Liquid feeds, Conventional fertilisers, Organic-based fertilisers and Controlled-release fertilisers. For more on these please read our gardeners’ guide to fertiliser types

Do fertilisers have the correct nutrients for growing beautiful roses?

This question is very difficult to answer due to; various soil conditions, climate and how we apply the product. Firstly we should test the soil to confirm the soil type e.g. clay, silt, sand. Then the pH of the soil as roses love acidic soils. If budget is available a professional soil test analysis will be required which can also highlight any nutrient deficiency. A soil analysis service is available from Yara for roughly £50 (correct at the time of writing). Visit https://www.yara.co.uk

Once the solid analysis results have been obtained then a decision can be made on what type of fertiliser to use and more importantly the consideration as to the fertiliser to use i.e. is it a balanced conventional fertiliser such as ‘7-7-7’, or does the soil require extra trace elements?

We often find that the majority of fertilisers do not contain sulphur which is essential in the production of amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins. So looking for a fertiliser with sulphur within the mix is important.

Did you know, due to cost-saving measures, fertiliser manufacturers have been known to remove this important element/ingredient from their products, and have continued their mixes even when sulphur has become more financially viable to incorporate into products. So even if fertiliser is advertised for roses it is important to check that your fertiliser does indeed contain sulphur.

Choosing the best fertiliser for Roses

Growing roses in the correct growing medium is important, without good foundations the rose cannot survive so ensure the growing medium has a high pH i.e. 6.

Roses are hungry feeders so fertilising also is essential whether it be conventional fertilisers, controlled release or liquid feed with a sulphur content is important. Roses are beautiful plants and can give gardeners immense pride and joy. To help protect your investment in roses and to ensure you get the most from them you should use the correct growing medium and feed them with the correct fertiliser. After all, we would not put a sub-standard oil in an expensive car and that’s just the same with Roses.

Greenacres Direct have two rose fertilisers NutraRose Micro (controlled-release fertiliser) and NutraNatural Rose fertiliser (an organic-based rose fertiliser) both have been designed to provide all the nutrients plus added Sulphur to ensure healthy growth.