Roses are unique & require special care. All plants, crops, trees & grass require certain conditions for health & growth. But with roses, we take extra care due to their the fact that they may not be as hardy if not cared for properly. In order to accommodate our roses we need to have proper soil tilth to aid in drainage, water & nutrient uptake and the dispersion of salts. This is essential for healthy plants. Roses cannot withstand wet, soggy soils. However, they require plenty of water. They also need to be well fed. But we must be careful not to burn the plants with nutrient products that are too high in values. Understanding the "Law of the Minimums" is important in understanding what we need for our roses. The Law states that if one of the nutritive elements is deficient or lacking, plant growth will be poor even when all other elements are abundant. If the deficient element is supplied, growth will be increased up to the point where the supply of that element is no longer the limiting factor. A good analogy to this principal is our own bodies. We all know that taking vitamins will do little unless we also take minerals, trace minerals, amino acids & enzymes, in appropriate proportions. The same is true for all plants. We need to have all of the appropriate elements required for growth available on an as needed basis for plant health & growth. Another element we need to keep in mind is the biological state of the soil. Our soils contain thousands of microorganisms. These are required for the plants to boost their ability to resist disease, fungus & mold. Without these microorganisms the nutrients we feed the plants are not in a form that is readily usable by the plant. The microorganisms digest the nutrients, excrete them as organic acids, enzymes, polysaccharides, gases & additional biomass. Then they are mixed with enzymes & fulvic acid in the ground. This process produces the best food for the plant. For roses, we need to insure that these microorganisms are always present. When we fertilize, they go to work & begin to convert nutrients applied into plant food. When we use chemicals, such as fungicide, herbicide or insecticide, we kill many of the microorganisms in the soil. We need to replenish these microorganisms one week after chemical applications to insure the best, natural environment is available for our gardens.

Below there is a short statement about the products that Dick Hornack has created for those of us interested in gardening. Dick created many of these products for the farmers. After testing his natural formulations for at least two years for each product, he introduced them to the home lawn & garden market. We know certainly that when farmers follow a program that includes the three products listed here, the yields are way up on every crop tested. Healthier plants result. Commercial farmers who have stripped their fields of micronutrients through the use of chemicals & because the commercial fertilizers are composed primarily of NPK plus a few select minerals, are seeing amazing results on those fields with our programs. We will describe the major benefits of each product. Then we will suggest a program that will be beneficial for rose gardens. We hope that you have another successful year of gardening in 1999.

Change the Texture of Your Soil, Break Up Hardpan Layers and Clay, Increase Drainage, Move Nutrients (including Phosphates) into the Root Zone, Reduce Nutrient Leaching, Improve Root Growth, Makes Better Use of Nutrients & Water, pH 5.5.

This quote from Ray Rothenberger at the Department of Horticulture, University of Missouri indicates just how important drainage is for roses. "Roses must have good drainage & perform best when they have abundant water. The soil around the roots should always be damp but never saturated with standing water. Add water when the soil is dry in the upper 1 to 2 inches.

Thorough, deep watering is important. Never give light surface waterings. Water should be applied slow enough the prevent surface runoff and long enough to ensure deep soil penetration. Until you become familiar with your soil & water technique, dig into the bed after watering a given length of time to see how deep the water has penetrated. At each watering, soil should be soaked at least to a depth of 1 foot."

EnviroMax has several properties that make it ideal for growing roses. The EnviroMax molecule is hydrophilic & hydrophobic. This means that when applied with sufficient quantities of water, it will move through the soil profile (even clay) & open up the soil. Multiple applications insure that these space remain open, even with weathering. Proper pore space is required for roses. They require well drained areas. Additionally, nutrients & air reside in these spaces. EnviroMax is an anionically charged molecule. This is important because minerals are cationic. The minerals attach to the EnviroMax molecule, as does water. The molecule holds these in suspension in the soil profile & enables your roses to feast as needed. No other product on the market today offers this unique benefit. Additionally, EnviroMax disperses salts. Sodium salts are the most soluble in water. A rose bush, in fact most plants, will uptake the water that is loaded with these soluble sodium salts first. This is not healthy. It is much better to disperse these salts, make the other minerals soluble through the use of EnviroMax & EnviroLife & to provide our roses with quality nutrients in solution on a regular basis. When using EnviroMax as described below, in conjunction with PlantMaster, Bradfield Plus & EnviroLife, we know that we are giving our roses the best possible nutrient & soil amendment program.

Keep Soil Conditioned and Supply ALL Natural Nutrients Each Time You Apply - Contains 50% EnviroMax and Over 100 Vitamins, Nutrients & Micronutrients, Enzymes, Amino Acids & Natural Growth Regulators, Replaces Vital Elements for Healthy Growth of Plants, Grasses, Trees, Flowers & Vegetables, pH 6.0

PlantMaster is a very unique nutrient & soil amendment product. Using a liquid is important because we know that the nutrients we apply go where we want them. The EnviroMax component in PlantMaster assures us that the nutrients in the formula will reach the root zone, where the plant feeds. Additionally, components in PlantMaster provide the comprehensive micronutrient package required to supply every nutrient required. Many other products claim to be complete. But PlantMaster supplies all of the elements in one. Natural growth regulators insure the plant has good flowering. The amino acids & enzymes aid in the process of converting the mineral & trace minerals into usable food for the plant. Without these elements, our plants cannot use all of the minerals we apply. And roses do not put out feeder roots very far. So the nutrients need to be near the feeder roots. Many other kinds of plants will send roots out quite a distance to find what the plant needs. Roses just cannot do this. Many experts recommend using organic matter, Epsom salts & sulfur for roses. Using PlantMaster & Bradfield Plus as your regular fertilizer supplies your roses with the elements found in the organic matter & supplements recommended by the experts.

Get Back To Nature’s Way of Balancing the Soil & the Environment with this New Microbiological Formula. Microorganisms Aid in Utilization of Nutrients & Reducing Harmful Effects of Chemicals, pH 5.0

As mentioned above, microorganisms ("good" bacteria) are required in the soil. There are so many strains of microorganisms available. Certain strains are essential for conversion of nutrients, while other strains are required to boost the plants ability to resist disease, fungus & mold. Dick has selected 7 strains of microorganisms that he believes are most effective in lawn & garden care. The product contains both aerobic & anaerobic microorganisms. This is important to know. The aerobic bacteria fix nitrogen & oxygen from the air & use it as food. The anaerobic bacteria go beneath the surface. Mixing it with EnviroMax or PlantMaster insures that the formula goes to the root zone. This is where your roses feed. These microorganisms go to work, converting organic matter & nutrients into usable food. The formula also contains enzymes & fulvic acid. These are required to make the best food for the plant. Some soils lack enough fulvic acid or enzymes, so it is important to replenish these elements regularly.

This dry formula (pH of 6.0) is an all natural nutrient package with an added soil amendment. The NPK levels are 3-1-5. This is high enough to feed your roses, but not so high it will burn their roots. The source of the nutrients is very high quality. We have also added some of the components of PlantMaster to this formula, so that the regular use of this product will continue to release small amounts of the micronutrients you require for your roses on a regular basis. Additionally, we have added 2 strains of bacteria that will aid in the conversion of nitrogen & phosphorous. This is important because their presence aids in keeping us from burning the plant root.

When utilizing the program recommended below, we feel confident that your roses will be receiving all of the nutrients required for maximum health & beauty. Additionally, the soil structure will be appropriate & remain appropriate when following this program. The combination of the EnviroMax technology along with the microbiological formulas insures good soil tilth. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the way our products work or about the suggested program. Thank you.

Plant all bushes 4 feet apart when using this program. EnviroMax causes great growth, and you will need this space so that the roses do not grow into each other.

EnviroMax or PlantMaster should be used when digging a new spot to aid the soil in holding the nutrients. Use 1 ounce per bush with one gallon of water.

When planting, mix one ounce of PlantMaster and one ounce of EnviroLife into one gallon of water for each rose bush.

Every other month, use 1 of Bradfield Eagle Plus for each rose bush. On alternate months, use ½ ounce of PlantMaster and 1 teaspoon of EnviroLife mixed with one gallon of water for each rose bush.

If you use any herbicide, fungicide or insecticide, apply a mixture of ¼ ounce of EnviroMax with ½ ounce of EnviroLife in one gallon of water for each rose bush. Do this 7 days after the chemical application.

Should any area become compacted due to weathering, please use 1 ounce of EnviroMax with one gallon of water on the compacted area. If your roses are in an area that is not well drained, you may wish to do this once a month. Remember, EnviroMax works on the principal of water. Therefor, a little bit on a regular basis can do a lot for you.