Tuesday, September 19, 2006

How To Plant Potted Roses

Angie Noack
It wasn't too long ago that no serious rosarian would even
consider having a potted rose on their property except for,
maybe, last minute emergencies where they had run out of space
but couldn't resist buying just one more plant.

Times have changed and potted roses have a place in the lives
of condo and apartment dwellers, city slickers who live in
areas where there isn't a tree in sight, and anyone who has a
spot on their lawn or garden in need of the beauty that only a
rose can deliver.

Not all roses are good candidates for growing in pots. The
following varieties have been found to do best. Feel free to
try any variety that you want, even climbers, and see how they
make out.

All that Jazz

Ballerina

Blush Noisette

Bonica

Cecile Brunner

Clotilde Soupert

Green Rose

Gruss an Aachen

Hannah Gordon

Hermosa

Katharina Zeimet

Mrs. Oakley Fisher

Peace

Perfume Delight

Precious Platinum

Sea Foam

Sexy Rexy

Souvenir de la Malmaison

Stanwell Perpetual

The Fairy

Valentine

Whiskey Mac

Planting potted roses is a relatively easy task as long as you
do your planting in the Spring after any chance of a frost is
long past. If you live in climate zone 6, or warmer, then hold
off planting until autumn when the ravages of July and August
are far behind.

When you're ready to plant, choose an appropriate sized
container with drainage holes. Make sure that the container has
enough room for your plant to grow without having to transplant
frequently.

Fill the container with garden soil that has some compost or
organic fertilizer mixed in.

Dig a hole that's a bit bigger than the root ball, knock the
rose loose from its shipping container, and plant it.

Dig a shallow trench or moat around the base of the plant to
hold water, and water well.

Potted roses are susceptible to the same diseases as garden
roses are, and they require feeding, pruning and all of the
other rose care basics. Potted roses aren't less work or
responsibility for you, they are simply more space-saving than
a regular rose garden is. Don't treat your roses as if they
were ordinary potted plants or you will lose them.

People are constantly asking if they can grow potted plants
indoors. The answer is: "maybe, but it's a risky proposition".
That's because roses need high humidity and a lot of direct
sunlight. High humidity conditions do not usually exist inside
of most airconditioned homes these days. However, if you live
in a hot, steamy area, and you don't have air conditioning,
then you can probably get away with it as long as you pick a
sunny spot.

Of all the rose varieties that are likely to survive indoors,
miniature roses are your best bet. Miniature roses are actual
roses which have been bred to grow into small and compact
plants with equally small flowers. They do very well in pots
and are quite beautiful.
Angie Noack is a home and garden strategist
with a sharp edge for technology. With her unique ability to
combine these two skills, she's able to help gardeners save
time and increase productivity. You can find her online at
http://www.cowboyrose.com

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