I use it for a quick tonic for struggling plants but have also used it as a foliar feed. The fish oils tend to coat the leaves and give some protction against fungus infections by creating a barrier. It would tend to burn the leaves though in hot sunny weather.I also use it as a root starter when soaking bare roots.

Like any fertilizer, last application should be 6 weeks before first frost. For me, that would be the end of August, but I stop fertilizing by mid-August. Well, that would be if I actually started fertilizing anything except the vegetables this year, but I digress...

I use it on everything, roses, herbs, vegetables...

Hi redsox

In all the years I have grown roses, and watched my family gardening, I have never really come to a absolute when it comes to late season application. If the roses get lots of nitrogen six weeks before frost it still might give it a good spur of growth too late for it to harden off. It depends on how much nitrogen and how long it is stays available in the soil. The safest is not to give fertilizer with lots of nitrogen after July, and use a low nitrogen fertilizer through-out August. At least if first frost comes in October.

That said, I must confess that I have used all purpose, slow release, organic fertilizer in August many times without any noticeable damage to my roses(NPK about 7-3-9). On the other and fish emulsion is fast working and how long it stays in the soil I don't really know. My experience is that the roses I feed a lot throughout the growing season has the best start next spring, regardless if I feed late in the season. I use organic solid fertilizer mostly, and that might be different from the fast working water-solubles. When soil temperatures drop below a certain level, the micro-organisms stop their activity, and less nutrients will be available, especially nitrogen. This will also be different in areas with sandy soil and lots of rain, nitrogen and kalium might wash out in less that two weeks. Fish emulsion is used on all plants that need a bit of extra nitrogen, and that is most plants in the garden.

What ever might be the best thing, I like to use liquid seaweed on the plants I give extra care, and I use it well into fall. I have only had positive results on every thing from cuttings to reviving old neglected roses. Seaweed has some slow release nitrogen and lots of kalium, and seams to strengthen the plants. This is probably better to use late in the seasong, because fish emulsion usually tend to be mostly readily available nitrogen and little kalium, unless othe ingredients are added (Sometimes fishmeal is mixed with seaweed). Kalium and phosphorous will help development of flowerbuds and harding of new growth.

Good luck with your fall bloom :-)

How is the rose doing? Did it help?

Me, too Karl, I use it as a root starter and for struggling roses. Taoseeker that was a fantastic explanation for those of us who are thinking about fertilizing into the fall. I was thinking that the fish/seaweed is a fast acting nutrient since I've used it as emergency rescue for my severely transplant shocked roses, and Paul Zimmerman said only to use liquid feeds but that any other organic feeds (slow-acting) should not be used past the 1st? of August. So I was thinking of taking the risk and using the fast-acting seaweed/fish liquids until mid-September and then just stopping feeding altogether. I just am wanting to be sure that my smaller canes have the maximum thickness possible since all my roses are so young and I want them to be able to endure the winter. In Kansas, September and even October can be very warm. It doesn't start getting chilly until near Halloween if I remember correctly and I would think that between mid-September through mid-October, the roses would have over a month to start hardening off which should be plenty of time?