Can standard plant food work for roses? As much as that is a common question, the concise answer is both yes and no.
Certainly, most general-purpose fertilizers can be used on your roses. These fertilizers typically contain the three primary nutrients vital to all plant life: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. However, if you are looking for optimal performance for your roses, specific rose fertilizers or formulas will deliver better results.
Roses need an adequate amount of phosphorus to flower well. Using a traditional fertilizer with a balanced proportion of N-P-K (nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium) such as 10-10-10 won’t give your plants enough phosphorus to guarantee them regular blooming.
Rose-specific fertilizers like Dr. Earth Rose & Flower Fertilizer include micronutrients and trace elements tailored to meet their special nutritional needs. They also come in organic formulations that enrich soil health.
Just using any garden plant food without giving any attention to its constituents does more harm than good to roses as many all-purpose plant foods feed mainly the foliage at the expense of producing showy blooms.
To sum up, can you use standard plant food on roses? Yes, it’s possible but not recommended if you want ideal outcomes. A rose-specific formula may be a bit pricier than general fertilizers but it delivers healthier bushes with brighter blooms which justify its cost in terms of satisfaction gained from seeing gorgeous flowers spread out all summer long.