Rose Bush - natural soil foods

I can't wait to see that 35 yr old rose bush! And thanks for the tips on raising healthy roses.. I was told also that epsom salt is good to place around the roses.. i had a sad looking rose bush last summer and added the epsom salt and that baby perked up in no time so with your good tip they are going to be loving me this year!!! hugs again for your post.

Hi, Didn't know that about epsom salts...hummm.

Hopefully my two oldest rose bushes are healthy this spring. Last year the yellow one didn't produce its usually abundance of flowers. The salmon colored one has done much better the last 10 years, since providing it with the extra nutrients and watering well, once a week, if there is no rain. People look at the color of the salmon one and say they've never seen one like it before. They older ones have more fragrance than the new ones you buy. They probably didn't use all the additives in the seeds back then, like they do now.

Rose bushes apparently like one real good watering a week, rather than a little here and there.

Crossing my fingers for healthy bushes this spring. Like all living things...can't live forever. I am amazed that they have been going this long!

Wonderful ideas for my droopy roses. Thanks so much.

You're welcome, Sheelagh. Don't forget you all post photos of your roses!

Hi Vicki,

I have a question for you since you have so many good ideas about rose bushes. Our daughter bought us 2 really pretty and healthy rose bushes last year. Well the RABBITS love them too. They started picking on the one and got just about all the branches chewed through and broken off, then they started on the other one and did a number on that one too. I looked for a rabbit deterrant on the internet and it said to spray them with straight white vinegar. Well, that worked for a little while, but then I guess the rabbits acquired a liking for it and ate through it too.

Is there ANYTHING that you would know of that I could do to prevent these critters from eating my pretty roses? Right now I have them covered with large plastic buckets from Loews with big rocks on top to protect them for the winter.

Thank you so much.

Hi Anna. The only thing off the top of my head I could think of is possibly spraying the rose branches with hot pepper spray (brew hot pepper flakes in real warm water, like you would a tea bag). Or even sprinkle hot pepper powder on them...only thing with this, you will have to do this daily, and especially after it rains. In addition, you might want to plant Marigold flowers all around the rose bushes. I know doing this around my veggie gardens deter the rabbits and insects. There's not just one thing I do to deter insects, and kritters.

You can also put a decorative already made fencing around the bushes. There's plenty of 1' and 2' fences in Walmart garden center, or Kmart, etc... I've done that around a veggie garden so my little dogs didn't get to them, until I could teach them not to enter that part of the garden.

Anna - go purchase "bird netting" at Walmart or your garden center. You can also cover your roses with that until they strenghten, and the rabbit can't get to them. The rabbits, after a while, maybe, will not revisit the bushes, if they learn they can't get them anyway....never know. If you cut off their food supply, they'll go somewhere else.

Thank you Vicki, so much. I will try your suggestions--maybe all of them together because those rabbits are really brazen and won't stay away.
You have such good ideas and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

Maybe if I get the bird netting and kinda form a "tent" around the roses that would be a good thing along with the fences. I WILL be on the lookout for those items when I shop at either Walmart or KMart. We're still getting snow almost every other day, so the roses aren't ready to start growing again.

A long time ago I had a vegetable garden planted and I put in some green pepper plants. I looked out the very next day, and the plants were GONE--roots, stems and leaves and all. Someone told me to press moth balls just under the ground so the dogs and cats wouldn't get them and that would keep rabbits away. Hummmmm--wonder if that would work ???