How to Care For Miniature Roses



Posted: Wednesday, March 03, 2010

by Peter Dranitsin
Petes Original Art Inc.

Growing miniature roses is no different from growing roses of other varieties. They practically need the same amount of sunlight. Although they grow small, they process and consume nutrients just as much as the normal-sized ones with all the blooming it has to cope up with. Surely, what this rose lacks in size, it makes up in bloom.

Sun

Miniature roses need at least 6 hours of sun daily. Luckily, this doesn't have to be a continual 6-hour routine. You can sun your mini for 3 hours in the morning, keep it inside the house at noon and sun it some more in the afternoon. In colder regions, the best spot for planting minis or any other rose is beside a south facing wall or hill. Placing your mini rose this way will give it more light time and help retain warmth during cold months.

Soil

Roses love sweet soil. Plant your mini rose in a well-draining, slightly acidic soil. If you bought the mini in a pot, move the rose to the ground along with the potting soil. If your garden soil is clayish in consistency, make raised beds for the mini rose. Roses like firm clay but prolonged exposure the ground water rots and suffocates the roots.

Water

With mere appearance, miniature roses would look like they don't need a lot of water. However, just like any other rose, they do flourish well with a regular 6 to 18 inches of water every week. As long as the soil drains well, there is almost no risk of over-watering roses even these little ones.

When watering your minis, soak the roots but never water the foliage. A lot of people water their roses from top to bottom. The thing is, it's the roots that are in charge of taking in water for the rose, watering the leaves will only encourage fungal growth and a host of other diseases. Unless you're using foliar fertilizer or applying pesticides, keep your roses' leaves dry.

Miniature roses are particularly prone to fungal infections because the lowest leaves are almost always touching the ground and therefore often get wet.

Winter

Most minis are grown in own-root and not budded. You may ease worrying about the winter cold having great risks to your miniature rose. However, if you love your rose, winter preparations should always be carried out. If you live in very cold climes with risks of ground frost, collar your minis. Mulching will not be necessary but if you want your rose well protected from harsh winters, mound it after winter pruning.

If you live in the Southern States with mild to warm winters, no extra winter preparation is needed.

Indoor

Many rosarians are fond of growing miniature roses indoors. You can't really blame them; if you can easily bring larger roses inside your house, why not, right?

To grow miniature roses indoors, it is important to put it in a place where it can still have some direct sun (say, beside a window). To supplement light needs, you may bring the rose outside regularly or provide a decent cool lighting.

Pruning

Prune a miniature rose minimally. They don't commonly get problems with overgrowth. In fact, most of the pruning on minis should be concentrated in removing dead or threatening twigs, shaping and deadheading. Other than those, your miniature rose will be just fine.

Cedric James is a rose gardening expert. For information on growing miniature roses, visit http://www.rosesguides.com.

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