Mini Rosebush question

[Mitzie]

HI Im new here, and learning about gardening etc. I have a minature rose bush that my sister n law bought me. Ive had it for about 2 years. Ive never repotted it, its still in its original container. I have always cut the blooms off once they started dying and kept the dead stems cut off.

My question is.... Is this a "houseplant" or can I plant this in a rose bed? Im not sure what kind of bush this is. I just know that its really small and its only bloomed once.... could this be because Ive never repotted it?
Thanks in advance.

[sue salley]

Hi Mitzie and welcome to Landspro. Good to see another Tennessean aboard. I'm in NE Tn. Where are you?
I definately am not the rose expert here but I will say I always have had better luck with miniature roses after I planted them outside in the ground. Sounds like otherwise you are doing all the right things.
Again Welcome. This is a great place to learn. Lots of experienced people and we all learn from each other every day.

[Ann B.]

Welcome, Mitzie!

The only thing that I can add to Sue's reply is that roses bloom better if you fertilize them regularly with rose food of some sort. Roses adore being fed, and they will reward you for it.

Some roses are repeat bloomers, and some are not.

Some roses are hardier than others, but you are in an ideal climate.

Roses, in general, do better in soils that are less acidic, but reducing acidity is easier than increasing PH. Did I say that right?

So, you have a lot of choices. You can fertilize. You can repot. You can try to plant it in your garden. But, hey! Why don't you try to take a few cuttings while you are at it?

Again, Welcome Aboard!

[sue salley]

See we do learn every day. I always thought roses like the acid soils. That might be why I have no roses left.

[Mitzie]

Sue Salley I am in the NW corner of Tennessee. You are in the prettier part of the state I'm envious!

Thank you both so much for replying. I am new to even attempting anything with roses. I will replant this mini outside and see what happens.

I have also taken two cuttings from a rose bush that my step dad planted in 1940. He died last summer and I would like to have this in his memory. I always thought that you needed to reroot in soil and sand, but I read online where I can simply take the cuttings and place them in water etc....... Has anyone tried to root this way ?

Again thank you so much, and I'm sure I will be posting moe questions soon.

[Tom]

Your mini rose will fair much better in the soil outside than it will in a restrictive pot. In general roses require most of the same things that other plants do:
1. High organic, well draining soil.
2. Slightly acid soil (pH 6.5-5.5) Neutral pH is 7. Ann you didn’t say that right, if you raise the pH, you make it less acid. Lower pH is more acid.
3. Your rose will require 5-6 hours of sunlight each day, preferable morning sun.
4. Fertilizer is best applied in small doses frequently with something on the order of 12-4-8. Well-drained soil that is watered frequently will not hold fertilizer very long.
5. Water the soil only, and mulch well. Water left standing on the leaves creates an environment for disease. Water early in the day and give the surface of the mulch and any wet leaves time to dry before dark.

[Mitzie]

Tom,

Thanks!!! Sounds like you know roses :-)

[Ann B.]

Tom knows all kinds of plants!

Thanks, Tom...

Mitzie, I hope you do come back often. We have fun learning together!!!!

[sue salley]

Mitzie, I've never been that far west in Tn. but I am sure it is pretty. You are right, it is beautiful here, rolling hills,lakes and mountains. We have a special little climate due to the Holston Mt. range of the Appalacians. I don't usually travel much but I love it here so I stay here.
Good luck on the roses. Let us know how they do.

[Dazed_Lily]

Welcome Mitzie !
About those cuttings...water didn't work for me ! I hope that Linda Foss joins in because she has an absolute gift of growing rose bushes from cuttings !
-Cathy :)

[Tom]

Aw Shucks Miss Ann, you and Miss Mitzie are making me blush.

I've heard it said that we learn by our mistakes, and it seems like I've made them all with roses. I got interested in them just about the time Japanese Beatles arrived in mass, they LOVE roses too.

There was a very good nursery quite near to my first house, and they LOVED roses. The problem was, they also sold chemicals (you know insecticides, fungicides...) No matter what new malady I described, or showed them, they had a different spray for THAT!

I started with just 6 rose bushes, all hybrid tea long stemmed beauties. I only thought they were expensive at the time, until I started adding up the cost of all the specialty chemicals I was accumulating. In addition to the cost, there was all the time. Based on that first experience, I figured that 18 rose bushes would require a hired gardener or me full time. In spite of all my efforts with reading and asking questions, and pampering those plants, they ALL died. Not all at once, but gradually over about 4 years. In retrospect I now know that my biggest and main problem was lack of sunlight and drainage. They starved to death from lack of oxygen at the roots and sugar generation in the leaves. But, as you mentioned, I learned a lot. Some of which you wouldn't want to know (language).

So, I gave up on them. Every place I've ever lived, I've had roses, and they have all died. Mainly because someone else had planted them before I got there, in too much shade, or in heavy soil, or both and I was not willing to start with them again.

But I did learn a lot of 'what not to do', in the process. By the way, I love roses, and have a few.

[Ann B.]

Tom, When it comes to hybrid teas, I share a similar story. I simply could not keep up with the fungides and fertilizing.

However, there are three that have survived for more years than I like to say. Two are doing better than the third. All three are near cement (soil more alkaline).

Then there is the floribunda. It is near cement also and gets relatively little attention, but does well.

Oh, but let's not forget the antiques (grow on the own roots). The ones that I have require absolutely no attention. They do need to be pruned because they grow like crazy.

Mitzie, as to propagating your cuttings in water. It can be done. Some of the success depends on which rose and some depends on how good you are at rooting in water.

In my opinion, the safest bet is to go with the cutting in soil using the greenhouse effect (for humidity and retention of soil moisture).

Can you go back for more cuttings and try several methods?

Just a thought....