When fertilizing roses, don't just think about nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - you also need to add calcium

When you've grown a lot of flowers, over time you develop some insights. Some flower growers may run into a situation like this: my plant is growing quite well, it doesn't look like there's any major problem, and anyway no pests or diseases have appeared, the leaves haven't turned yellow or dropped off at all, they're still a lush green color.

But even so, you can't say its growth is in good shape - it's only so-so. For example, the branches are rather thin, and soft, weak and drooping, usually accompanied by a tendency to break easily. At this point you can be sure the plant has some kind of problem, but what kind? You need to check them off one by one first.

First confirm the water and sunlight situation. If you're watering normally, the soil is moist but not waterlogged, and the sunlight is also plentiful - that is, it's not being kept in a shady spot without light - then you can rule these factors out first. Apart from these factors, a fairly likely cause is using too much quick-release fertilizer (water-soluble fertilizer).

Using too much here doesn't mean the fertilizer has burned the roots, but rather it's due to the nature of quick-release fertilizer itself. Quick-release fertilizer is a chemical fertilizer, but it has one drawback: its calcium content is very low or even nonexistent. Here's a bit of knowledge: the three major elements plants need for growth are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and the fourth-ranked one is calcium.

Many flower growers know to pay attention to using nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers when fertilizing roses, but they often overlook calcium fertilizer.

So what happens when a plant lacks calcium? The branches become soft and brittle. If this situation occurs, then you need to add calcium. Go to the flower and bird market and buy some calcium-containing fertilizer.

One thing to note is that calcium very easily reacts chemically with other elements, so it's recommended not to mix calcium fertilizer with other fertilizers when applying it. To ensure the fertilizer's effectiveness, calcium fertilizer needs to be used on its own. Using calcium fertilizer needs to be combined with sunlight - sufficient sunlight lets calcium fertilizer deliver its greatest effect.