I saw the thread you referred to & didn't comment. First, when you're talking about a micro-nutrient deficiency, you're talking about elements that are generally not mobile. Sulfur, chloride, copper, zinc, manganese, iron and molybdenum are marginally mobile in plants, but only under certain circumstances. Most of the mobility in the elements listed is usually associated with the breakdown of amino acids and proteins in older parts of the plant, only under nitrogen deficient conditions. IOW, they're only mobile when the plant is robbing nutrients from old tissues before they are shed, and translocating them to other tissues via the phloem stream. Since these elements are essentially immobile during periods of adequate N supply, a foliar application (spray) really doesn't do much good. It can alleviate the deficiency temporarily by supplying Mn to the leaves it contacts, but unless it rinses off the foliage and enters the plant through the root pathway, it won't be present in the nutrient stream to ensure the normal development of new growth. This is the reason that, no matter what advertising claims are made, Ca spray supplements are so ineffective at eliminating BER. Ca is considered immobile in the plant, so if Ca is not in the nutrient stream as new cells/tissues are forming, the tissue will form abnormally, with weak cell walls and other issues - BER. In the same vein as what you were mentioning, I don't like to advise people to use this element or that element to 'cure' an 'apparent' deficiency. Many 'deficiencies' aren't deficiencies at all, only symptoms of cultural inadequacies; or, they are deceptive, varying widely in symptoms, and even then, many of the symptoms overlap. One of the first things experts will agree on is that diagnosing many nutritional deficiencies is little more than a crap shoot w/o the benefit of tissue analysis, so there is a good chance the diagnosis will be wrong. Second, adding individual elements can easily affect the uptake of another or create a toxicity. E.g., if someone had applies an Fe supplement to try to 'green up the leaves', he might have unwittingly have caused a Mn deficiency. Fe and Mn are known as classic antagonists, and a deficiency/excess of one can affect the uptake of the other. Adding Mn only can affect the uptake of Fe, P, N, and other elements as well. It just makes much better sense to me to use a fertilizer that supplies the elements most apt to be deficient in container media, or to use a fertilizer like FP, that ensures all the essential elements plants take up via their roots are available in a favorable ratio. Ideally, when one element is getting to the point it is in short supply, they all will be - at the same time. Using fast soils that allow you to water so you're flushing excesses out before you fertilize again, helps to keep the ratios in balance, so there should never be a need to supplement individual elements. Plants DO take what they need and leave the rest, but it is decidedly in our favors to keep 'the rest' at a minimal level. If the person is actually using FP on a regular basis, it's unlikely there is a Mn deficiency unrelated to pH. Like Fe deficiencies that occur when using soluble fertilizers (they all contain Fe), the Fe is in the soil, but unavailable. Mn is affected by pH in the same way as Fe. My advice would have been to flush the soil thoroughly and fertilize; or, if the grower really was using the fertilizer regularly and at adequate solution strength, to add enough vinegar to bring the irrigation water pH down to 5.8-6.0. Al

Carol, I like the idea of the little roses all huddled together in a garage for warmth, wrapped in a blanket. I want to toast them marshmallows. I'm being silly, of course. Honestly, I'm still unsure about what I'm going to do but I have a strong feeling that the roses will come through the winter okay outside. I'm only concerned about the two I will be putting into pots and sinking into the ground. But in a protected location outside, I think they will be okay. In the future I think I won't take this risk again, unless my roses come thru winter with flying colors. We will see. Farmer duck (I like that name), thanks for bringing up the point about keeping the dormant, garaged plants out of the sun. That's an important point. Kim, I don't think moisture will be a problem for the pots outdoors. We get a pretty good amount of rain in the fall, some in winter (during mild winters, often quite a bit) and some snow. In the spring when removing leaves from the perimeter of the yard, everything beneath is moist and possibly rotty. I don't think I will worry about the moisture level in the outdoor pots. Thanks all for your help. :)

hey mr mike.. where are you ... on your members page.. you ought to be able to include zone info next to your name.. so i dont have to go reread all the posts to see if you answered that before ... the issue is what will thrive... where you are.. it wont help if we name a bunch of stuff that wont work for you ... first pic... opposite corner.. what a freakin nightmare ... and basically.. it is your dream... to recreate it with a huge evergreen conifer ... i suggest you go dwarf.. for something that will not turn into that other corner .... and i would not go with one plant.. boring .... how about an intermediate pungens .... slower growing.. and a couple yellow arbs .... no time for pix right now ... all dependent on your investigation about the well ... ken PS: one problem.. if that well ever fails.. research the well drillers access to that site.. and how much space they would need to redrill.. nothing like setting up a nice grouping.. only for it to be ruined in the future ... i am still not sure i would put expensive large plants there ....

Civil Servant, You have struck gold with all the excellent advice given by so many well informed Roses Forum Rosarians. My comments basically reinforce what they are sharing with you. Fish emulsion stinks, literally. It has its good uses in some cases. It is mostly nitrogen, which you are already applying in a sufficient amount if you opt for the Miracle Grow Pellets or another well balanced rose fertilizer, organic or non. Too much nitrogen is not good: weak, over abundant, lush, and disease/insect prone growth at the expense of flower production, is the outcome. Ditto for blood meal. Be mindful of those animal product fertilizers in light of their critter attracting nature. Even if you live in the city, alley cats can be drawn to your garden, and they will not leave your garden without voiding. Then there are urban wildlife, particularly raccoons and opossums, even skunks, coyotes and coywolves. You don't want to attract them. I do like seaweed fertilizer as an occasional foliar feed because of the multitude of minerals it contains, but it is not really critical to use it. Its use is more like dessert in comparison to a well balanced main meal. Also, there are no odor issues.