Pot roses are an enrichment in the garden all year round and spoil you with their characteristic shape, the scent and the delicate petals. Roses are among the most popular garden dwellers and are quite undemanding as long as a suitable location has been chosen. Many rose enthusiasts, who unfortunately have to do without a garden, rely on indoor roses that are kept in pots. In contrast to their relatives in the field, these need more care so that they do not die.

Buy pre-grown potted plants

You should pay special attention to the type of indoor and mini roses when purchasing them. There are sometimes stark differences in quality, as not all of the pot roses on offer are small varieties, but are treated with growth inhibitors and kept in a pot that is too small so that they do not exceed a height of 40 to 50 centimeters. When purchasing, do not buy items from discounters, supermarkets or petrol stations. These varieties, which are given out as indoor roses, are mostly classic rose varieties that would feel much more comfortable in the garden. Therefore, pay attention to the following signs when buying:

  • Flower buds hang down
  • Growth appears restricted
  • Shoots and leaves bent
  • white coating on the leaves, often suffer from powdery mildew
  • dried up
  • pot too small

The reason for this is the form of breeding. Typical varieties are used for the roses, which are then propagated via cuttings and then sold. Through the use of chemical agents, the "mini roses" remain small until they are either placed outdoors or repotted. However, the success rate here is extremely low and the plant can completely fail after the first flowering. When making your selection, it is better to rely on a breeder where you can view the specimens beforehand. But there are also miniature roses that are better suited to being kept in containers than in gardens:

  • Orange Meillandina
  • Peach Meillandina
  • Pink Symphony
  • sun child
  • rosemary 89
  • sugar baby
  • Honeymilk
  • Palace
  • Pinocchio

This is just a small selection of the variety of varieties that is offered. The basis of all small roses that are suitable for pots are Rosa chinensis 'Minima' and Tufted rose (botanically Rosa multiflora), as well as floribunda roses. From these come the hybrids, most of which are bare-rooted and therefore cannot be kept outdoors. That makes them all the better as potted roses for the room, conservatory and balcony in summer. Find out before you buy a room rose for your home. A little research will save you a lot of hassle and frustration, especially with these roses.

location

The location for the potted roses is extremely important so that they continue to bloom after the first flowering of the year and also survive the winter. They need a lot of light, but should not burn and must be supplied with artificial light over the winter to prevent them from dying. Allow a location based on the following properties:

  • Light requirements: sunny to semi-shady
  • Avoid midday sun
  • Take advantage of morning and evening sun
  • At least 8 hours of sunshine in summer is ideal
  • airy

When choosing the location in the apartment, also make sure that the rose does not come into constant contact with people or animals, which can lead to a possible failure of the flower. Likewise, if you place your mini roses on the balcony or terrace in summer, you must provide adequate wind protection, since roses generally do not tolerate too much wind.

Tip: Above all, only choose mini roses if they have a variety name. The cultivated forms that you find in supermarkets are not given a variety designation and are therefore not real indoor roses, but only mass-produced goods.

substrate

The substrate for the potted roses in the apartment should be the same as the typical soil for growing roses, so you should use high-quality rose soil. This is precisely tailored to the needs of the plants. If rose soil is too expensive for you, you should use an equally high-quality potting soil with a neutral pH value, which is rich in nutrients and should be enriched with sand to loosen it. If the soil becomes dense, the plant suffers and it should therefore sit loosely in the pot, but still offer the potted roses enough support. An important element of the substrate is drainage, which is made possible by the following materials:

  • potsherds
  • expanded clay or grit

The potsherds are placed over the drainage hole of the pot and then filled with expanded clay or grit. This allows the water to drain easily and be stored at the same time, so you don't have to water as much. This is also necessary if you keep several specimens in a bucket in the apartment.

Tip: You can even add herbs like catnip and sage to the pot indoors. These "Rosenkavaliere" enrich the soil of the roses, support growth and also ensure a pleasant aroma in the home.

repot

Repotting is extremely important for potted roses, as even good rose soil will become too heavy for the plant over time. Depending on their growth, they may have to be repotted annually, as the roots of the potted roses sprout quite strongly and quickly. Prepare the pot for a deep-rooting plant. This should be about 30 to 40 centimeters deep and not too small in diameter so that the fine hair roots of the indoor roses do not hit the edge. Proceed as follows when repotting:

  • wait until the top layer of soil has dried a little
  • prepare the pot with drainage and a little substrate
  • choose a pot with holes for water drainage
  • carefully remove the rose from the pot
  • be careful not to damage the roots of the hair
  • check the root ball, remove rotten roots with sharp, clean scissors
  • immerse the root ball in a water bath for a few minutes
  • Drain the root ball
  • then put it in the new pot
  • Refill substrate, about two to three centimeters below the edge
  • finally moisten the substrate

When keeping them indoors, make sure that your roses do not have too little space in the pot, as this is fatal for growth. So check regularly whether the roots are already reaching the pot. If the soil also appears compacted, also repot or mix in fresh soil to prevent waterlogging. Do not fertilize for four to six weeks after repotting.

maintenance

When it comes to caring for indoor roses, the most important thing is the right mix of moisture, fertilizer and temperature. Since these varieties of the genus Rosa are sensitive to waterlogging, wind and dry heat, you have to pay more attention to the ideal care conditions for the delicate plants. However, cutting the mini roses is quite easy, as the plants do not have much material to cut.

pour

When watering, you must ensure that the potted roses never die of thirst, but at the same time do not let them drown. They are very thirsty and like it when the substrate is always slightly moist, but not wet. In summer, in particular, you can water more frequently so that the potted roses do not have to suffer a dry period. When pouring, use the top layer of substrate as a guide. If it has dried, you should water it abundantly and throw away excess water to prevent waterlogging. The roses get along well with lime, but you should vary between rainwater or stagnant water and tap water. In this way you do not overload the substrate with additional lime.

Notice: Be careful not to wet the leaves with irrigation water as this promotes disease.

Fertilize

Roses do not need to be fertilized for a few weeks after repotting, but should then be treated with one of the following fertilizers from April to September:

  • long-term fertilizer
  • Rose fertilizer (liquid and granules)
  • Depot fertilizer (especially when keeping several specimens in buckets)

Of course, special rose fertilizers that have a certain amount of lime and iron and use less ammonium are best suited for this. Excessive amounts of ammonium cause the leaves to die off. Suitable rose fertilizers for potted roses come from the manufacturers Neudorff, Plantaqenz, Compo and Oscorna, who have long-term and immediate fertilizers. You must therefore administer liquid fertilizer weekly via the irrigation water in order to cover the energy needs of the plant. If you have young potted roses, the young plants should never be fertilized in the first year. Here the nutrients from the earth are completely sufficient.

To cut

The pruning of the mini roses for the apartment is not much compared to the relatives in the garden and consists of two main cuts:

  • Cut after flowering
  • annual pruning in spring

Since the roses for the room are evergreen plants, the plants should be cut back extensively in spring so that new shoots can form. Otherwise the indoor roses could become lazy. Perform the pruning as follows:

  • choose clean, sanitized secateurs
  • first remove all dried and old-looking shoots
  • then thin out the entire bush to a maximum of eight strongest shoots
  • shorten this by a third
  • cutting about 5mm above a bud that is facing outwards
  • put the scissors at an angle
  • also make sure to cut off side shoots directly on the main shoot so that no protruding parts are visible
  • After trimming, free the plant from the cut parts of the plant

It is also important to remove the withered flowers and their leaves immediately after one of the more frequent blooms. To do this, simply cut them off at an angle and remove the withered parts of the plant. In this way you ensure perfect conditions so that a second flowering in the year is possible. Simply remove wild shoots by hand.

hibernate

Overwintering the potted roses is quite easy, but you have to pay attention to a few things that could seriously damage the indoor roses. The winter quarters should be designed as follows so that the potted roses do not get too hot:

  • Temperature: 5°C - 15°C
  • bright
  • cool
  • no dry heating air

Either a conservatory or a room that is not heated is suitable as a location in winter. Dry heating air is not tolerated, as are temperatures that are too warm. If it is particularly dark in your area over the winter, you should help with a plant lamp.

diseases and pests

There are two diseases that potted roses in the home can suffer from:

  1. Powdery mildew: white-grey coating on and under the leaves possible from April, spreads to all parts of the plant, flowers no longer open.
  2. Blackspot: dark spots, radiating edge, yellowing of the leaves, darkened bark.

These problems occur when the location is too bright or too dark, too hot or stuffy. If you give your potted roses fresh air and a cut after flowering, then these diseases can be easily curbed.

Category:

Garden plants