Home gardeners can enjoy fertilizing their plants without making it complicated. A balanced fertilizer means there are equal amounts of nutrients which sounds good but not all plants need nutrients in the same amount so making sure a fertilizer is "balanced" is not as important as making sure a fertilizer contains all the macro and micro nutrients it could need. Bottom line, pick a fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that also contains micronutrients such as copper and boron. I have been happy using Osmocote slow release plant food on all my plants including roses and vegetables. You do not need different plant foods for different plants when you use a complete plant food. The plants will take what they need. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti