I suspect alfalfa tea is very low in fertilizer elements. The label on 8-16-8 Monty's Joy juice specifies feeding each rose 1 gallon of a solution made by adding 3 tbs of the concentrate to 20 gallons of water, per week. This amounts to about 3/4 gram of nitrogen per rose per month. The nitrogen uptake by greenhouse roses is about 2 grams per rose per month, and the average rose fertilizer provides anywhere from 2 to 6 grams of nitrogen per rose per month. I know that healthy rose plants can be grown in good soil with no added fertilizer at all, but I believe you have to fertilize most soils to obtain anywhere near optimal flower production. If you agree, then you have to decide if you want to fertilize this late in the year and risk more winter damage for the sake of more flowers. Me, I'm going for the flowers. My roses had only one decent bloom cycle the entire summer to date, thanks to the JB.

What types of roses are you growing, are they shrubs or Hybrid Teas?

Hi
Thanks for the quick responses! To answer your question Krista I have about 45 roses--mostly hybrid teas and floribundas and one New Dawn Climber. They had a beautiful spring flush but that was before all the stress of ever changing weather conditions and JP's and Blackspot. Mike --I think you may right! I am going to take the plunge and fertilize one more time. After all what is all this work for ?---to have beautiful blooms right?? I am sorry to hear that you too have only had one good bloom cycle. I thought I might have over-fertilized but after reading your post I have not have I? Thanks again and wish me luck!

I've been good about deadheading and cutting back spent blooms this season. This has been my best year for flowers and repeat blooming since moving here 6 years ago. I fertilized with a home made organic fertilizer, horse manure, and cheap high nitrogen lawn fertilizer in June, Other than that, I've provide lots of water.
I haven't sprayed and most bushes show little blackspot except those that are prone to it. The beetles are mostly gone and my roses continued to bloom well while they were here and during the heat.
I don't think alfalfa tea or Monty's are complete fertilizers. Monty's is a tonic and helps roses utilize the soil nutrients better but don't contain enough nitrogen or other things to satisfy a hungry rose bush without good meals of other fertilizers.
Think of you only taking vitamins and not eating a good meal!
Your comment "attempting to grow roses" leads me to believe you have not been all that successful, overall?
Is your soil rich with organics? Is it loose or compacted? Do you mulch? Water regularly? Deadhead/prune back spent blooms regularly? Keep weeds pulled? Ph relatively close to 6.5?
All these things need to happen at the same time to get the most from your roses during our short growing year.

Our big flushes are late spring and late summer/early fall. The rose shows in NJ and PA are usually the first two weeks in June and the second and third weeks in September for that reason. High heat will cause most of the plants to stop producing blooms in mid-summer. My Neptune just really stopped growing at all for two weeks, no leaves, no nothin', and is just now starting again. There are some plants that will continue through the heat, Our Lady of Guadaloupe, Baby Faurax, Honey Dijon (I know, I was shocked too), Conundrum, Pope John Paul II, Soroptimist International and Miami Moon have all had blooms most of the summer. I did not have a bad JB season, they came when I was between flushes on most of the plants and just went away.

Fertilize now. September will be good. You'll be happy.

Alaskan Fish Emulsion is good to give in August. Its a light enough fertilizer I think.
I really like your forum name...."rosey state of mind"......how true for most of us LOL!

I would put Alaska Fish Fertilizer in the same category as Monty's Joy Juice: tonics, rather than simple, to the point, fertilizers. If you follow the Alaska Fish Emulsion label directions for roses, you give each rose about 1/2 gram of nitrogen per month.

I suggest using a water-soluble fertilizer such as Miracle Grow or, better yet, Vigoro Water-soluble All Purpose Plant Food, at the label rate.

Hi again!
Karl, you make some very good points about fertilizing. I am probably not doing enough or not enough of the right things. I have been fairly successful growing them . I have a small rose bed which my sweet husband dug up for me replacing all of our hard clay soil with organic loose soil. I add nutrients each time I plant a new rose. Here in Pa. I give them about 3 years to show me what they've got and if I am not happy with them they are replaced. I know that is severe but I am 53 years young and there are so many beautiful roses to try out there! I do weed and water and mulch and dead-head. I spend a lot of time with my roses. It gives me great pleasure. I am going to take your advice and fertilize one last time with Vigoro All Purpose as Mike suggested or perhaps Miracle Grow.
I tried the fish emulsion a couple years ago --YIKES!
We live in a very rural area and after I put that on all of my roses something dug them all up overnight!! They must have liked the smell. My husband and I could only figure that it was a raccoon or possuum? I was so upset that I swore off of that stuff for good!
Mike again thanks I didn't realize that those products were merely tonics.
Ramblin Rose I am glad you like my forum name. I try to live in that rosey state of mind each day BUT some days it sure ain't easy! :)
Lastly ,Diane thanks for the encouraging words! You guys are all great to help me out!