Caring for Potted Rose Plants

Let's be honest; who doesn't love roses? These beautiful plants come in a wide variety of colors, have a gorgeous fragrance, and always seem to add a touch of elegance to their surroundings. What seems to make these plants truly amazing is that they can be grown indoors or out. Whether you grow them indoors or out they require the same basic care. Here is everything that you need to know when it comes to caring for potted rose plants.

• Types. When growing potted rose plants, the best possible type of plant to use is what are known as miniature roses. While it is always possible to grow any kind of rose bush in a container, miniature roses are able to handle the confined spaces a little better with less care and maintenance. Keep in mind that whatever type of rose you choose should not have any flowers blooming when you choose it. The plant needs to focus its energies on getting established, rather than blooming plants at this time.
• Preparation. If you will be growing your rose plants in a container, you need to prepare that container. The pot for your roses should contain a rich potting soil mixture. Just about any of the commercially available potting mixes will work perfectly, so any that you choose will be primarily a choice based off of personal preferences or economics.
• Planting. It is time to begin planting. There should be enough potting soil in your container to fill it a little less than half way. Put the roots of the plant on top of this soil, and then pour more of the soil into the pot. Make sure that you completely cover the plants roots until you are just under the lip of the container. This way there is some protection from spillage in case someone happens to bump into the container. Pack the soil in until it is firm, but not hard.
• Feeding/watering. Once you have planted your roses, take care of them through feeding and watering. Considering that your rose plant will be in a container, fertilization is going to be a more of a concern than it normally would be if it was planted outside. Periodically (roughly every two weeks) you will need to do one of two things: Either repot your rose plant in new potting soil or make sure that you add fertilizer spikes into the container. This provides the proper nutrients to the plant. Watering is pretty simple, in that roses thrive in moist soil and all that you really need to do is make sure that the soil stays moist.
• Sunlight. Roses need large amounts of direct lighting. Either place your potted roses in an area that has direct sunlight for large portions of the day, or make sure that there is plenty of artificial lighting for your plant for a minimum of eight hours a day.