Groomed Home Smarter Living
Having roses in pots on a balcony, regardless of their variety, requires a lot of care. In order to maintain proper health, we need to maintain regular monitoring.
Here is our guide to easily grow roses in your own containers.
Variety | Containers | Planting | Maintenance
Choose the right variety
The ideal rose varieties for your balcony or containers are usually miniature ones. Given their small size, their roots will require less space. On top of that, the flowers of miniature roses shine particularly in smaller/limited areas. The Meillandina rose is especially perfect, thanks to its bushy flowers that form an excellent bouquet regardless of your container.
You can also choose other dwarf cultivars that have the advantage of being resistant. Generally, modern roses adapt more easily to containers. However, do not be fooled by small pink bouquets used by florists. Many of them do not thrive under a potted culture. The main factor to manage in your crop is drought. Unlike natural soil, plants will only have the moisture contained in your pots. Without adequate soil moisture inside your container, the rose has no opportunity to look elsewhere for its needs.
Also, prefer less vigorous plants, like half-stemmed roses. Growing climbing roses in limited containers on a balcony is not recommended. Their roots will need to much surface to extend progressively as they grow. If you’re particularly fond of old-school roses, ask the advice of your florist.
Pick the right containers
To grow well, your rose will need a container with enough space that will allow for the roots to breathe. In this case, banish bins made of plastic. Ideally, prefer clay or wooden pots. If your balcony is large enough, don’t hesitate to get a wider and deeper container.
To allow roses to fully grow, they must be a minimum size of 10 inches in diameter and height each. If possible, get a container with up to 25 inches in diameter, allowing the plant to fully take root and flourish. If the bottom of your pot isn’t drilled, it must be done to allow evacuation of any water overflow.
Planting roses
To prevent root rot, potted roses need to be drained properly. To do this, put in the bottom of the container some gravel or clay beads. You’ll need to create a layer of about a couple inches. Next, prepare the planting by premixing some compost and garden soil. Use proportional amounts.
Then, follow the usual planting of your roses, while taking care to separate the roots. Pay special attention to the graft, so that it is barely above the surface.
If you want to grow a traditional rose, you’ll usually have to prune the branches in half before planting it. This will facilitate the recovery of the shrub.
Then, add a layer of soil up to the graft. There should be about an inch between the edge of the pot and the ground level, to ensure correct watering of the roses. Finally, water generously to facilitate rooting.
Maintenance of potted roses
Regular watering is essential to grow potted roses. In warm weather, water your roses twice a week. You’ll have to spread these irrigation periods, allowing the soil to dry up a bit. Roses need a lot of watering; on average a gallon of water for every five gallon of container. During the winter, limit your watering to a monthly basis. Avoid doing it in freezing weather.
Perform systematic cutting of withered flowers to encourage new blooms. Follow up with regular treatment of your roses against pests or plant diseases. As soon as you’re planting your roses, you can already protect them with fungicide. Perform an annual resurfacing, replacing the top layer of your container’s soil.
