I've just bought 'Vitex Organic Rose Feed' from my local garden centre...because that's all they had, but reading the ingredients on the back, I find it is made up primarily of pelleted chicken manure, of which I have a very large tub of already. So I'm just wondering if I could've saved five quid and just used the stuff I already had for the early feed. DA's own feed is out of stock, but Peter Beale seems to have a well balanced feed available, maybe I should've gone for that.
Pete, it depends what else is in the Vitax. It may contain other micro-nutrients and minerals roses need and the concentrations of all ingredients might be higher. So check the other ingredients apart from chicken manure and also the NPK ratio (balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) on the back of the box.
Brands vary, but chicken manure pellets major on the nitrogen in a ratio roughly 4 - 3 - 2.5 and generally have a lower overall nutrient value than a specialist feed.
In good, healthy soil, the chicken pellets combined with a high potassium liquid feed like tomorite (ideally the one with added seaweed) during the blooming season may well be all you need. However, few of us actually bother to get a professional soil analysis done to know for sure what it is already rich in and what deficiencies it has, to allow for more targeted feeding.
Personally I would play on the safe side and use the Vitax on your roses and save the pellets for other shrubs and trees.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Had a horrible week, with son being hospitalised.Now that he is much better we hope to return home soon. Reading the comments here and looking at all the lovely pictures made my day. Got time to open the DA catalogue finally. Seems like they have removed Jubilee celebration as well. Out of stock and not mentioned in their catalogue.
Not nearly as impressive as others' offerings but at least the bare-roots I potted at the start of Jan are still alive and sprouting which I am pretty delighted about! Haven't fed them yet but will do so this weekend perhaps when it's a bit drier. Ab fab , chandos beauty and easy does it all from about ten days ago.
Received my bare root order from Cottage Memories, first time buying from them. Didn’t take photos as weather is diabolical and just wanted to get them unwrapped and soaking ASAP, but from my cursory inspection they all look really good. I’m pleased, would order again from them 👍
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Someone was asking about Eustacia Vye colouring:
Happy gardening all
Brands vary, but chicken manure pellets major on the nitrogen in a ratio roughly 4 - 3 - 2.5 and generally have a lower overall nutrient value than a specialist feed.
In good, healthy soil, the chicken pellets combined with a high potassium liquid feed like tomorite (ideally the one with added seaweed) during the blooming season may well be all you need. However, few of us actually bother to get a professional soil analysis done to know for sure what it is already rich in and what deficiencies it has, to allow for more targeted feeding.
Received my bare root order from Cottage Memories, first time buying from them. Didn’t take photos as weather is diabolical and just wanted to get them unwrapped and soaking ASAP, but from my cursory inspection they all look really good. I’m pleased, would order again from them 👍