Roses come in so many different varieties – climbers, ramblers, shrub roses, hybrid Tea and floribunda are just a few.
When roses are loaded with buds and blooms, the plant adds elegance, beauty and interest to your garden.
Not only can their wide array of colourful petals add tremendous flair to flowerbeds, but their strong floral scent adds to their allure as well.
However, for many gardeners, keeping their roses healthy and flowering strong can be challenging.
Weather, pests disease and fungal issues can certainly all affect a rose’s performance.
But more often than not, one of the reasons a rose struggles to bloom is because they are not being fertilised.
Fertiliser plays a huge role in getting the plant to produce additional blooms and flowers. It does this by replacing the energy the plant lost from its previous blooming cycle.
Rose bushes require a tremendous amount of nutrients from the soil to bloom and because of this, they can often deplete the resources they need over time. Especially if your roses have been growing in the same location for multiple years.
Unsure what fertiliser to use, gardening enthusiast Shona Patterson took to the Gardening UK Facebook page to ask: “Does anyone have a favourite rose feed that they like to use?”
The rose fertiliser that was recommended the most in the comments section was the Toprose Rose and Shrub Feed.
Anna Malin wrote: “Topfeed rose feed is apparently exactly right for roses. I bought it from Toolstation and it’s easy to use in granular form.
“It was highly recommended by someone who grew beautiful roses. I have never seen roses like it.
“I even tested it out on my roses and they were bursting with big blooms after just using it once. I also do careful pruning and remove all dead blooms and twigs.”
Julie Price said: “I always use Toprose. It’s amazing because it’s a slow-releasing fertiliser so it feeds the soil and plant better.”
Barbara Dalton commented: “Toprose has the perfect balance of the main three nutrients roses need. A handful in spring and another in summer. Works for all flowering shrubs and fruit.”
A 1kg box of Toprose Rose and Shrub Feed retails for just £4.19 at Toolstation and can be purchased from Amazon for £5.75.
The brand claims that gardeners will be “rewarded with elegant blooms, deeply intense colours and beautiful scents that can last years” when using this feed.
Apply evenly to the soil around the plants and hoe lightly, keep off stems and leaves and water if the soil is dry. Only two applications are needed for a complete season’s feeding.
The first feed is in spring – apply 28g (approximately one handful) around each plant when active growth starts.
The second feed is in summer – apply 28g around each plant after the first flush of flowers has faded.
