Let us now praise local food
Food for plants, that is. Mile-Hi Rose Feed has a story whose local credentials go back decades. First manufactured by Royal Franklin 36 years ago, one of the first organic rose fertilizers licensed in the U.S., its sales have gone from a few hundred pounds to more than 30,000 tons annually. Rose societies all over Colorado swear by it, because Franklin listened to them, grew a lot of roses himself and tweaked the formula over the years. So what’s in it? A 7-8-4 formula derived from meat and bone meal, blood meal, plus cottonseed, fish, alfalfa and kelp meals, along with supplemental nutrients. It’s sold in 1-, 2- and 3.5-gallon buckets and 25-pound sacks at independent garden centers and rose society meetings. With an organic fertilizer that helps feed the soil’s web of life, you don’t have to fertilize often; Franklin recommends three feedings per year. Prices vary; for stores, see milehighrosefeed.com/stores.htm
Gardens need their greens
When Franklin and his rose-aficionado pals were tweaking their rose feed formula, they added kelp meal, but it is good for nearly all garden plants — it’s full of vitamins, trace minerals, natural anti-toxins to fend off bacteria and viruses, plus it helps Colorado soil retain water. Mile Hi Rose Feed also sells alfalfa meal, which helps condition the soil of new garden beds. Consider both amendments probiotics for your soil. Available at local garden centers or e-mail royalf@comcast.net
