9 Best Rose Fertilizers
The best rose fertilizers REVIEWED!
Post Updated 11/20/23
If you are looking to nourish your roses, and get them to be vibrant and healthy you need to choose the right fertilizer for roses.
Fertilizers will help to improve the soil and conditions needed for your roses to flourish and produce beautiful blooms.
There are a ton of options to choose from and each works a little differently and has distinct ratios of nutrients.
Read on to find out which are the best rose fertilizers and how to determine which would be best for your garden.
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The Top 9 Rose Fertilizers
These rose fertilizers aren’t listed in any particular order. It is based on research and which ones work the best given specific features and circumstances.
The one that I personally use is the Espoma Rose-Tone and I find it works well given my soil type and garden.
All of these rose fertilizers are solid choices and it really depends on what your needs are as to which one would best work for your garden.
- Rose-tone is 4-3-2 Fertilizer analysis with 5% calcium.
- Ready to use and requires no mixing.
- Rose-tone is approved for organic gardening; It is a registered Organic Input Material meaning it meets all requirements for organic production.
- Made in the USA
Espoma’s Organic Rose-Tone is an organic, long-lasting, slow-release rose fertilizer.
They use an exclusive blend of microbes to nourish the soil. The ingredients are 100% natural and organic with no fillers or sludges.
Some of the quality ingredients include feather meal, poultry manure, bone meal, alfalfa, greensand, sulfate of potash, and sulfate of potash magnesia.
This is a granular fertilizer and it has an NPK ratio of 4-3-2. It comes in 4, 8, and 18 lbs bags. According to Espoma, 1 pound equals approx. 3 cups.
For the best flower production, it is recommended that you feed monthly through the growing season (May- September).
Espoma’s Organic Rose-Tone is a wonderful choice if you are looking for big, beautiful roses.
In fact, it is often the fertilizer that is used and recommended by professional rosarians.
- Granular fertilizer has an NPK ratio of 3-5-3
- Organic fertilizer
- Blend includes healthy bacteria, Mycorrhizal fungi, and Archaea.
Jobe’s Organics Rose and Flower fertilizer is a solid choice.
It is a fast-acting organic fertilizer that is easy to use and is environmentally friendly (safe for kids and pets).
This blend includes healthy bacteria, Mycorrhizal fungi, and Archaea. These microorganisms are supposed to improve the quality of the soil long-term, help your garden resist disease, and promote plant growth.
This granular fertilizer has an NPK ratio of 3-5-3. The other ingredients include bone meal, feather meal, potash, and processed manure.
You are supposed to apply it every 6 weeks and it is available in 4, 6, or 16 lb bags.
Jobe’s organics rose and flower granular is ideal for rose bushes.
- Down To Earth Rose & Flower Mix is a natural fertilizer with a 4-8-4 formula
- Listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in organic production
- Ingredients: Fish Bone Meal, Langbeinite, Blood Meal, Alfalfa Meal, Seabird Guano, Rock Phosphate, Humates and Kelp Meal
- Can be used on all types of roses, bulbs, flowering shrubs, and even onions and garlic.
This organic, granular fertilizer is a great choice if you are looking for more blooms on your roses.
Down to Earth’s Organic Rose & Flower Fertilizer has an NPK ratio of 4-8-4. Since it has a higher ratio of phosphorus, your rose plant will produce big, beautiful blooms to admire.
The ingredients include Fish Bone Meal, Blood Meal, Langbeinite, Alfalfa Meal, Seabird Guano, Rock Phosphate, and Kelp Meal.
This fertilizer mix is outstanding for all types of roses, bulbs, flowering shrubs, and even onions and garlic.
The company recommends fertilizing roses and perennials once a month during the growing season.
You can purchase Down to Earth fertilizer in a 1, 5, or 15 lb box, or a 25 or 50 lb bag.
This fertilizer is a great option if you want to fertilize more than just roses in your garden.
- The NPK ratio is 9-12-9
- Slow release formula
- Easy to use
- No wasteful chemical runoff
- Continuous supply of nutrients
Jobe’s Rose Spikes are convenient and very easy to use. The 3-inch spikes are inserted into the ground in the early spring when new growth begins.
These spikes provide continuous nourishment at the roots of the plant.
The NPK ratio is 9-12-9. You get 10 spikes in a waterproof, resealable pouch.
While these spikes are more expensive than your granular type of fertilizer, they last longer, so you don’t have to fertilize as often.
If you are new to gardening and want to not have to think so much about fertilizing then Jobe’s Rose Fertilizer Spikes are the way to go.
- Its NPK ratio is 2-4-1
- An organic fertilizer made from fresh North Atlantic fish
- Made by a unique cold process that protects the vitamins, amino acids, enzymes and growth hormones
- The nitrogen and other nutrients are chelated, so they are readily available for plants consumption
Neptune’s Harvest Fish Hydrolysate is a solid option if you are looking for an organic liquid fertilizer for roses.
Don’t worry there is no unpleasant odor. The company uses a unique cold process that protects heat-sensitive nutrients naturally found in fish and doesn’t remove the proteins or oils during processing.
Its NPK ratio is 2-4-1. Before use, you must shake well. It is also recommended that you prepare for one application only.
The company recommends applying the liquid fertilizer every 1-2 weeks if you are using it for the Rose & Flowering Formula.
This is one of our top choices if you are in the market for liquid fertilizers for roses.
- The NPK ratio is 18-24-16
- This rose food starts to feed instantly
- Use with Miracle-Gro Garden Feeder or any watering can
- Guaranteed not to burn when used as directed
Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Rose Plant food promotes lush foliage and beautiful blooms.
This fertilizer is specially formulated for roses. In fact, this rose fertilizer is endorsed by the American Rose Society.
It is easy to use, you just mix one tablespoon of the plant food for every gallon of water in your watering can and soak the base of your roses.
You apply it every 7-14 days during the growing season. So this type of fertilizer does involve being applied more frequently.
The NPK ratio is 18-24-16. Miracle-Gro’s solution is guaranteed not to burn the plant.
- Blossom Booster 10-30-20 is a professional formula that feeds through both the roots and the leaves.
- A professional formula that feeds through both the roots and the leaves.
- Water-soluble Plant Food
- Easy to use
- Bigger and more blooms
Jack’s Classic Blossom Booster Fertilizer is another solid water-soluble choice.
This rose fertilizer is blended with an enhanced micronutrient package that helps to grow strong roots and nice healthy green foliage.
This fertilizer prevents burning and works by feeding both the roots and leaves.
The NPK is 10-30-20 so you can increase the size and number of blooms. It comes with a measuring spoon for easy application.
It is recommended that you apply the fertilizer every 7-14 days.
You mix one tablespoon of fertilizer per gallon of water and apply it to the plant as though you were thoroughly watering.
This is an excellent choice if you want more flowers and brighter-colored roses.
- Liquid fertilizer
- Proprietary compost extract supplies all the benefits of traditional compost, plus bioavailable humic acids, over 70 chelated trace minerals, and seaweed.
- Starts working right away
- Easy to use
- Registered as an Organic Input Material under the National Organic Program of USDA.
- Made in the USA by a family-owned, small business.
Great Big Roses Organic Rose Food Fertilizer is a good choice for liquid fertilizer.
This organic fertilizer is designed to increase flower set and retention. This fertilizer will replenish the soil to ensure hardiness, new growth, and blossoming.
Great Big Roses contain essential micronutrients, humic acid, and kelp meal.
It is recommended that you apply the fertilizer to the soil around the plant every other week during the growing season.
Just mix 4 oz of fertilizer with 1 gallon of water. Remember to shake well before mixing.
If you are looking for more fragrant and vibrant roses with a lot of blooms then this is the choice for you.
- A granular fertilizer
- The NPK ratio is 10-18-9
- For new and existing roses and flowering plants
- Feeds up to 3 months
- Premeasured
This granular rose fertilizer is made specifically for new and existing roses and flowering plants.
Miracle-Gro Shake N Feed provides a continuous-release formula and feeds up to 3 months.
Miracle-Gro wants to take the guesswork out of feeding your roses by creating a fertilizer that promises to prevent overfeeding and burning when used properly.
The NPK ratio is 10-18-9. It also contains kelp, earthworm casting, feather meal, and bone meal.
This is a great choice for the beginner gardener as the fertilizer is premeasured.
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The Different Types of Rose Fertilizers
There are three different types of fertilizers granular, liquid, and spikes.
Each has its own benefits to using them and works a little differently.
Let’s break down how each type works so you can make an informed decision about which type might be best for your garden.
Granular
This is Espoma’s Organic Rose-Tone Fertilizer which is a granular fertilizer.
The first type of fertilizer is granular or dry fertilizer.
Granular fertilizer kind of looks like sand or the soil that you’re going to be applying it to.
It is a slow-release fertilizer. Granular doesn’t need to be applied as frequently.
What is nice about granular fertilizer is you can actually see it as you’re applying it around the base of the plant.
Liquid
Another type of fertilizer is liquid fertilizer.
It is a liquid that needs to be diluted and mixed with water and is usually applied with a watering can or hose.
Liquid fertilizer is easy to use and can be absorbed quickly. But needs to be applied more often.
Spikes
The last type of fertilizer is spikes.
Spikes are relatively easy to use. The fertilizer is already measured out; it comes in like a stick or spike that is inserted into the ground near the base of the plant.
It is a slow-release fertilizer. Spikes are probably the easiest option and best for beginners who want to have healthy plants but don’t want to have to constantly be tending to them.
Benefits of Using Rose Fertilizer
There are many benefits to using fertilizer on roses including:
Prevents diseases
Prevents problems with insects
Increases blooms
Strengthens the roots
Improves foliage
More vibrant colors
Bigger flowers
Promotes plant growth
3 Things to Look for In a Good Rose Fertilizer
NPK ratio
The NPK ratio stands for the percentage of its volume of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are essential key nutrients for your plants.
Different formulas of NPK can give you different results.
So what is each nutrient responsible for?
Nitrogen helps to make the plant sturdy and helps with foliage.
Phosphorus helps with root development and flowering of blooms and blossoms.
Potassium helps with disease resistance and overall plant hardiness.
Roses tend to do well with a nice balanced NPK ratio. So when you look at a bag of fertilizer and you see an NPK ratio of 4-3-2 that means there is 4% nitrogen, 3% phosphorus, and 2% potassium. The other 91% will be composed of other fillers and ingredients.
Organic vs. Synthetic (Non-Organic)
Organic fertilizers in addition to helping nourish the plant, help to enrich the soil around the plant. They also are a slow-release type of fertilizer.
Whereas, synthetic or non-organic fertilizers kind of give a quick burst of feeding or nutrients to the plants.
Either type of fertilizer works well, it just depends on what type you prefer and whether you want to amend the soil as well, and how quickly you want the fertilizer to be released.
Easiness of Application
Ease of use is very important when choosing a fertilizer.
You want to make sure it’s one that you understand how to use and can do.
If you’re not going to have the time to constantly apply fertilizer then maybe you should choose one that doesn’t need as many applications.
But if you really like to tend to your garden and are more actively involved maybe one that you get to do every couple of weeks might be a better choice.
In order of easiest to apply would be spikes, granular, and then liquid.
Spikes are just put into the ground and changed out every couple of months.
Granular is scooped out and sprinkled around the plant approximately every few months, and liquid is more involved since it must be diluted and applied frequently.
FAQs About Fertilizing Roses
What nutrients do roses need?
The essential nutrients for roses are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
How do you know which ratio of NPK is right for your garden?
The most accurate way to find this out is to take a soil test.
You are looking to see what your soil is rich in and may be lacking. That way you know that needs to be added or amended to the soil.
This soil tester is a great option to use in your garden.
A common mistake is getting a fertilizer with too high an NPK ratio and adding extra ingredients that your roses don’t really need.
Fertilizing the roses around the drip line.
When should you fertilize your roses?
You should ideally fertilize them at the beginning of the growing season when you start to see growth.
But every fertilizer and company has its own specific instructions for timing and spacing feedings so please refer to the product’s instructions.
Just make sure you stop fertilizing about 8 weeks before the first frost in the fall.
What are some signs that your roses need to be fertilized?
If you noticed over the previous years that your roses are not performing as well, there are fewer blooms, maybe not as big of flowers, and leaves seem to be burned or maybe yellowing, it’s probably best to choose a fertilizer to help revive the plant.
Which is better synthetic or organic fertilizer?
I think the answer to this one really depends on your particular garden and soil.
Organic fertilizer helps not only the plant but also enriches the soil.
Synthetic fertilizer kind of works more on the plant and the plant's growth and health.
So if you have healthy soil already and don’t really need too much added to it then maybe synthetic is your better choice.
If you’ve realized that your soil is missing some key nutrients and could use a boost or some help then organic would be a better option.
Should I use the same fertilizer every time?
No, you should rotate the type of fertilizer you use. Plants get used to certain formulas and it’s best to rotate them so that the plant doesn’t get used to them.
Make sure to record your fertilizer rotation so you don’t repeat or forget what you were using.
