I’m trying to help my mom pot some miniature roses I selected from an online grower.
What research I’ve done says Roses are heavy feeders and that even a 12 inch pot will need regular feedings to get blooms. I’ve seen recommendations to add Blood Meal and Bone Meal to the soil.
The bag says nothing about clay pots. All it says is 1 tablespoon per 2 sq ft area for Bone Meal and 1 tablespoon per 1 sq ft for Blood Meal. So, would your standard 12 inch clay pot be considered a a sq ft? :dubious: I plan to thoroughly mix this into the potting mix. So it’s going to be all the way through the 12 inch pot, ( I think they are 10 inches deep).
Is there a rule of thumb for how much to use in a 12 inch pot? That seems to be the most commonly sold size at Home Depot.
I called the Rose grower and asked about fertilizer. They said never use granular fertilizer in a pot? 
They strongly said only use liquid. Any idea why?
I thought I had a good liquid Rose fertilizer. I had bought Bayer Rose and Flower Care. Fertilizer, Insect Control, and Disease Control all in one bottle. The Grower said no to that too. She said it was Systemic and I couldn’t use it until year two. Geez this stuff gets complicated. So what’s wrong with a Systemic fertilizer?
I’ve got several flowerbeds with flowers and shrubs. This is my first attempt at roses and also my first clay pots. I need help. Please.