How to Grow Indoor Mini Roses

Roses are notoriously hard to grow indoors, but mini roses make the challenge a little easier. These tiny plants---usually around 10 to 12 inches tall---require constant watering and wouldn't mind the occasional serving of rose food, but the sight and smell of a rose indoors is well worth it.

Things You'll Need

• Peat-based soil
• Pebble tray
• Full-spectrum light

Instructions

1. Use a peat-based soil for your mini roses. Make sure the soil does not contain water crystals, which retain moisture in the soil for longer than your rose needs.

2. Keep the soil consistently moist while your rose is in the process of budding and blooming. Make sure the pot isn't sitting in a saucer, which will capture water and keep the bottom of your plant damp. Roses should not be kept wet. After the budding cycle has finished, it's OK to let the soil dry out a bit between waterings.

3. Put your rose pots on a pebble tray, which is just what it sounds like---a tray filled with pebbles and water. This keeps the roots of the rose dry, which is key. The water in the tray will evaporate constantly, providing your rose with the high humidity it craves. If your house is especially dry, consider placing a humidifier near your mini rose.

4. Give the mini roses as much light as you can. Try to position them so that they get several hours of direct sunlight. If this is impossible, use an artificial full-spectrum light directly above your rose, and keep it turned on for the whole day.

5. "Wash" your roses, twice weekly, to avoid spider mites. These tiny bugs love dust and dirt, and will eat holes in your rose's leaves. Gently rinse the leaves and stems with water, or an insecticidal soap solution, being careful not to damage the rose.

Tips & Warnings

• Some mini roses, like the ones sold at big-box retailers, are actually several roses crammed into one pot. Separate the plants by swishing their roots in water to remove the dirt, then transplant them into individual containers.