Gone Gardenin’ – O. my luve’s for a peachy tea rose

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/03/2012 (5030 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The queen of the outdoor garden has to be the tea rose; visitors to any garden will inevitably stop when they come upon a perfectly shaped tea rose and drink in its beauty as well as its scent. A potted rose can be a focal point in an indoor landscape as well, but on a much smaller scale.

Because indoor gardens are of necessity on a much smaller scale than most outdoor gardens, smaller plants are the norm. When it comes to roses, miniature roses fill this niche for the indoor garden.

Valentine’s season saw a flurry of miniature roses offered for sale and we no doubt will see another flush of potted miniatures offered for sale around Mother’s Day. Miniature roses are a little higher maintenance than many other houseplants but they are well worth the extra effort required to keep them healthy and vigorous.

Their cultural requirements are really no different than those demanded by roses grown outdoors. The only difference is that a gardener growing any plant indoors, including miniature roses, faces additional challenges.

The most significant challenge is to provide the miniature rose with as much sunlight as possible. It should be placed close to a south-facing window so that it gets all the direct sunlight it possibly can; if the stems begin to stretch or its leaves turn yellow and drop, the plant is getting too little light.

Miniature roses grown in pots need consistent moisture so they need to be watered at least twice a week. Ensuring the pot has excellent drainage will protect the plant from being overwatered — the planting medium should be thoroughly damp but not sodden.

A regular feeding program will keep the rose vigorous. Although rose fertilizer is often 18-24-16 or 7-8-5 (the middle number is slightly higher than the other two), a balanced fertilizer will work fine, used half strength every other watering when the plant is in active growth.

Using a pebble tray will increase the humidity around a miniature rose in a pot, and giving the plant a weekly shower by placing it in the sink or shower and spraying it with water will keep the foliage clean, deter insect pests, and increase the humidity around the foliage. Do not wet the foliage late in the day; the foliage must be able to dry quickly to prevent black spot from being an issue.

Probably the two most common problems encountered when you have a potted miniature rose in the house are black spot and spider mites. You might like to spray the foliage regularly with insecticidal soap in addition to the showers you give it.

Vigilance and immediate action will head off any problems. If black spot develops, remove infected leaves. A serious attack might warrant the use of a fungicide.

A miniature rose is best planted in the ground outdoors for the summer, continuing to care for it the same way you care for your outdoor roses. In the fall pot it up by increasing the size of the pot by one size and using a good quality soil, but don’t use fertilizer.

If it is in vigorous growth, enjoy the ensuing blooms of the rose but at some point in the early winter the plant will flag and begin to drop its leaves and go dormant. When this begins to occur, cut back on the water to hasten its becoming dormant.

Store the dormant rose in a cool dark place for several months and then bring it out and encourage it back into active growth. By then the darkest part of the winter will be over and you will be able to offer the plant enough sunlight coming through the window to allow it to set bud and come into bloom.

Miniature roses come in the same wide array of colours as outdoor roses. Most of them are hybrids bred to be attractive pot plants so most have fully double blooms that resemble miniature tea rose blooms.

The foliage of a healthy miniature rose — or any rose for that matter — should be bright green and glossy. A lot can be learned about the health and vigour of a plant simply by looking carefully at its foliage.

A miniature rose will add elegance to the indoor garden; it will also add charm to the outdoor garden where its miniature, perfectly shaped roses will be a contrast to the full-sized beauties produced by the outdoor roses.

If you receive a miniature rose as a gift, enjoy it, and if you are not so lucky, perhaps you will purchase one of these exquisite potted plants for your own enjoyment.

Albert Parsons is a consultant for garden design and landscaping who lives in Minnedosa.

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