Homemade Rose Bush Tonics

Organic Garden Tea

• Add fish entrails, banana peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, vegetable scraps and fruit peels and rinds to a 5 gallon bucket. Any combination of organic kitchen waste will do. Avoid products containing meat or vinegar. Fill the bucket half full of organic material and add water to the within 2 inches of the top of the bucket. Cover with a tight fitting lid. Place the bucket in a sunny location and allow tea to "brew" for six to eight weeks. Use strained liquid, diluted with 5 parts of water, to water around the base of your rose bushes. Add the remaining solid from the tea to the compost pile. Rich in nitrogen, calcium, potassium and other vital micro-nutrients required for plant grow and root development, garden tea will keep your roses blooming at their full potential.

Epsom Salt

• Dissolve one cup of Epsom salts in 5 gallons of water. Water the root zone of rose bushes with the mixture monthly. Epsom salt contains magnesium sulfate, vital for plant growth and development.

Banana Peels And Coffee

• Chop up banana peels, rich in potassium, into small pieces. Place in a container and cover with stale coffee. Coffee grounds can also be added to the mixture. Coffee is an excellent source of nitrogen. Allow to sit for several days. Strain and dilute with 3 to 5 parts of water and pour around the base of rose bushes. Add the solids to the compost pile.

Molasses

• Mix 2 oz. of molasses with 1 gallon of water. Apply to the base of the rose bush. Molasses is rich in vitamins and minerals, encouraging strong, large blooms. Roses require 1 to 2 inches of moisture per week. Lacking adequate water, rose buds can whither or not develop to their full potential.