Is nitrogen bad for roses?

Question

I am told that nitrogen is bad for roses. Is this true? I would like to know what is the best feed for roses (either made-up chemicals or organic matter). And what substances in the garden are likely to have a high nitrogen content? I am asking this last question so that I can avoid using those substances on roses, if nitrogen is really harmful to them. THANKS! I hope you have LOTS of lovely roses this year in your gardens....

Answer 1

No, nitrogen is not at all bad for roses!  It's one of the necessary nutrients!  What I think may have left you with that impression is the fact that most recommended rose fertilizers are a little higher in phosphorus than in nitrogen, as opposed to lawn fertilizers which are very high in nitrogen.  The reason for this is that nitrogen promotes green growth, while phosphorus promotes blooms.  People don't use lawn fertilizer on roses, because that would encourage the plant to produce all leaves and no flowers.  Also, since roses' new green growth is particularly vulnerable to pests like aphids and thrips, you generally don't want to be pushing it to create lots and lots of new green growth, the way you would lawn grass.  But nitrogen is still good for roses -- you just don't want *too* much of it.

Any organic rose fertilizer will work just fine for roses.  They also love alfalfa meal and banana peels.

You don't want to fertilize them too late into the year, though.  They need to slow down before winter comes, so that they won't have fresh young growth that will be easily killed by colder temps.

Answer 2

roses like nitrogen,just like any other plant,what you have to do is plant green onions,and garlic cloves in and around the plant, they seem to like this,and when you eat a banana you cut up the peel, dig a small hole by the root and put it in....about two weeks after you will see the difference,and the roses do flower a little bit more.,remember to only water in the morning,also in fall month dig a small moat around the plant and put some brown sugar in there not too much ok...cover this up ....next year you will have  a lot of healthy beautiful roses...I do put coffee grounds on my flower beds,and crushed up eggs shells,the eggs shell for ants and calcium,and coffee grounds for nitrogen....I know for sure this works for me....so good luck.....

Answer 3

Roses need nitrogen just like all other plants.  Most growers recommend a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10.  The idea that nitrogen is bad is because too much will promote green growth as opposed to flowers.  You can use a higher nitrogen blend early in the season and switch to a fertilizer with more phosphorus when the plants are getting ready to bud.