About Potted Roses

Just because you live in an apartment or a home with a small garden doesn't mean you can't raise roses. Although you can't grow the larger roses, if you have a sunny location on a porch or patio, you can grow the smaller varieties of roses in flower pots. Despite their delicate appearance, roses are not difficult to raise. In addition, growing roses in pots allows you to move them indoors to be enjoyed during the winter or taken with you if you move.

Selecting

Smaller roses work best for planting in pots. These include miniature roses--both bush and climbing miniature--and even some of the fairy roses. When selecting roses to plant in pots, check for the mature size of the plant; look for rose bushes that grow about 2 feet tall when mature. You don't have to start by planting the rose in a large pot. The soil in flower pots will lose its nutrients over time, and you'll have to repot the flower anyhow; at that time, you can move the rose to a larger pot.

Preparing to Plant

Mix 2 tbsp. plant food formulated for flower pot plants into a container with 2 cups water. Remove the rose from the nursery container and place it in the water/plant food solution; make sure that only the roots are submerged. If you have access to Styrofoam packing peanuts, pour some into the pot, filling about a fourth of the bottom of the pot. This will allow for more drainage while preventing the pot from being too heavy. Fill the flower pot half full with good quality potting soil and fill it full with water.

Planting

Remove the rose from the water/plant food solution and place it on top of the soil in the center of the pot. Add enough potting soil to hold the rose in place and then gently pour half of the water/plant food solution onto the soil. Add more potting soil to finish filling the pot, but don't cover the bud union (the knuckle-like joint that is above the rose's roots and below the canes). Gently tamp down the soil and pour the remainder of the water/plant food solution around the rose.

Caring

Set the pot with the rose in a location where it can receive at least 6 hours of sunlight every day. If the rose begins "reaching" toward the sunlight, rotate the pot to encourage an upright growth. Water the rose every other day until new growth emerges; at that point, reduce the watering to several times a week, increasing it in hot, dry seasons. It's best to water roses in the morning so the leaves and petals can dry off before nightfall. The soil in the pot should be moist without being soggy. Once new growth appears, use an all-purpose plant food formulated for container flowers. Roses love bananas; bury banana peels underneath the rose's roots.

Pests and Diseases

Aphids and Japanese beetles are common problems for roses. Use a pesticide to control these pests. Roses are bothered by mildew and black spot. Remove the affected leaves and spray with a fungicide.

Pruning

Smaller roses need pruning just like the larger variety, but to a lesser degree. Besides pruning faded blossoms and leaves, trim dead wood from the rose and shape the rose by pruning some of the center canes to allow for more oxygen flow in the center of the rose. Clean up the cuttings and discard them.

Winterizing

Depending upon the size of the pot and whether you have a sunny place in your house, you can bring the rose inside before the first freeze. Place it in a sunny window and water it about twice a week. If your humidity is low, spritz the rose with water several times a week. Winterizing roses left outside varies according to the USDA Hardiness Zone. Check with a nursery for advice on winterizing roses in your location.

Resources

• USDA Hardiness Zone Mags