What is the exact nourishment that roses need or what does it take to
grow roses using other forms such as orange juice, etc.?

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Request for Question Clarification by alienintelligence-ga on 30 Sep 2002 18:13 PDT

Hi crashkfk...

Orange Juice? I've been growing roses for quite a
while and I haven't heard that one yet. Possibly
coffee grounds?

Have you done any searches already? If so, could
you tell us where/what? By exact nourishment are
you looking for a botanical description of chemicals
needed for proper rose cultivation or would a
'description of rose growth' by an authoritative
grower be more what you are seeking? Would the
exact chemical content of "rose food" be what
you want?

Under "other forms" would that include hydroponics?

I'm curious how much depth of information you are
seeking because my roses have never been much of
a problem. Two to three fertilizings a year is all I've 
ever had to do.

-AI

Hi! I hope I'm in time to provide an answer.

According to the rose sites I have gone to, 3 basic nutrients are
needed by roses - Nitrogen, Phosporous and Potassium. These are
basically gotten from the soil or fertilizer you use for them. A
recommended rose feeding program starts with a high phosporous
content, like 10-20-10 (following the order in which I mentioned the
nutrients) ratio.

Another set of “big 3” nutrients are hydrogen, oxygen and carbon.
These are not provided through a fertilization program, but can be
deprived by bad gardening practices, like poor soil mixture and
infrequent watering.

Secondary nutrients are sulfur, calcium and magnesium. They are used
in lesser amounts than the above. Sulfur is usually derived from air
pollution. A good magnesium feeding secret is the use of Epsom salts,
1/2 cup per plant. A high quality rose fertilizer provides all these
nutrients.

“Micronutrients are required only in very small amounts. These include
iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum and chlorine. They
are usually sufficient in well-prepared soils, but can become bound up
(unavailable to the plant) if the soil pH is above 7.0 or below 4.5.”
- From the second URL below

They also need:
- minimum of 6 hours of sun a day 
- Plentry of water that is readily drained

None though have mentioned orange juice. It’s not mentioned in any
site I’ve looked over.

Rose Fertilizing basics from Seattle Rose Society 
http://www.bmi.net/roseguy/fbnutr.html

Heirloom Roses
http://oldheirloomroses.com/nutrients.htm

Search string: rose nutrients

Hope this a rosy answer!

techtor

Orange juice is an old wives folk remedy for unhappy roses planted in
alkaline soil. I learned it from my Mexican grandmother, who had no
access to commercial fertilizers, nor money to buy commercial
fertilizers if they'd been available.
Orange juice is a chemical-free soil acidifier and an incomplete
fertilizer.

Orange juice does help roses grow, especially if you have alkaline
(basic) soil, that is soil with a pH over 7.0. Orange juice also
contains plenty of potassium, which is one of the key ingredients in
commercial fertilizers. It also contains some nitrogen, but not a lot.
I've used it here in Austin, Texas (soil pH 8) with subtle but
beneficial results. When I lived on the Tex-Mex border in Eagle Pass,
Texas (soil pH 10.5) the beneficial effects of orange juice on the
roses was much more noticeable.