What kind of fertilizer should be applied after the rose bud shows color?
The editor introduces the related experience of planting flowers about what kind of fertilizer should be applied after the rose bud shows color. Let's understand it together.
What kind of fertilizer should be applied after the rose bud shows color?
In the Aiwen Circle, "A flower friend asked: The rose bud has already shown color, do we need to stop fertilizing?" I believe many flower friends have this thought. Because many gardening gurus propagate that top dressing after the bud shows color will cause the flowering period to end early. Is this really the case?
Should we stop fertilizing after the rose bud shows color?
The saying that fertilization should be stopped after the bud of potted flowers shows color is mainly based on the theory that phosphorus fertilizer promotes plant maturity and may cause the flowering period to end early. This theory can be acceptable if applied to plants like海棠, plum, and peony, which bloom only once a season, but if it is applied to roses, the result may be just the opposite of what you expect.
Roses have the characteristic of blooming on new branches, almost once a month. This type of plant with a high flowering frequency and fast growth requires a lot of fertilizer. Because nutrients are needed for growing branches, forming buds, and consuming nutrients for blooming.
Many flower friends mistakenly believe that roses do not consume nutrients when they bloom, but this is not the case. Even open flowers need to continue consuming nutrients to maintain vibrant and continuous blooming. Think about it, isn't the vase life of fresh cut flowers longer with preservatives?
Take the rose variety "Velvet Ball Arbor" that can bloom continuously for a month as an example. Why do people say it grows slowly? It's actually because the blooming period is too long, leading to excessive consumption and nutrient depletion of the plant, so it needs a long recovery period before it starts growing again. If you cut the Velvet Ball Arbor flowers, you will find that it actually grows quickly.
So, the first point is that roses need to consume nutrients when blooming. If fertilization is stopped, the nutrients consumed by flowering come from the plant's reserves, which is a form of overdrawal and will undoubtedly affect the growth of the plant after flowering.
Secondly, most roses in spring are multi-headed. What is multi-headed? It means that when there are two or more buds on a branch, it is called multi-headed.
The problem with multi-headed is that the largest bud will bloom first, followed by the medium-sized bud, and finally the smallest bud.
If fertilization is stopped when the bud shows color, then the question arises: at which bud should fertilization be stopped?
If fertilization is stopped when the largest bud shows color, the medium-sized and smallest buds are likely to turn yellow and fall off due to lack of fertilizer; if fertilization is stopped when the medium-sized bud shows color, the large bud will bloom continuously while being fertilized, which may cause the large bud's flowering period to end early, and the smallest bud to be malnourished and wither; if fertilization is stopped when the smallest bud shows color, will it cause the flowering period of the largest and medium-sized buds to be shortened?
Dear gurus who advocate stopping fertilization when the rose bud shows color, please answer my questions above.
Roses need a lot of fertilizer whether they are growing buds, blooming, or growing branches. Therefore, to keep roses growing vigorously, it is recommended to continue fertilizing according to different growth stages of the rose. Blindly stopping fertilization may cause bud drop or growth stagnation after flowering!
When roses are growing buds and blooming, emphasis should be placed on applying phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. After pruning the spent flowers, promptly switch to a balanced growth fertilizer or a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, such as Huaduo No. 1 or agricultural compound fertilizer. It is important to note that in addition to applying water-soluble fertilizers promptly, fermented organic fertilizers should also be applied promptly.
Because the organic fertilizer we applied in winter has been depleted after the consumption of spring growth and flowering, so it is necessary to replenish it promptly after flowering.
Fermented organic fertilizer can continuously provide roses with essential nutrients and trace elements, and can also repair the damage to the potting soil structure caused by long-term use of chemical fertilizers, keeping the soil loose and fertile. In the book "How to Grow Roses from Scratch," four formal topdressings are recommended, all of which suggest using fermented organic fertilizer.
The above content about what kind of fertilizer should be applied after the rose bud shows color can be used as a reference for green plant enthusiasts.