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Large Roses for Containers

© Mark Whitelaw

I receive a lot of mail about growing roses in containers. Many rosarians want to grow them as such because they may be easier to maintain, or because they wish to relocate them at some future date, or because they lack the space for a full scale garden, or because they wish to winterize them indoors during the extreme winter months.

Growing roses in containers is much like growing them in the ground. The chief difference is the drainage afforded by the container is much greater than that for normal garden soil. This means watering is a major concern. During the warmer summer months, irrigation may be required every day or so.

Another challenge when container growing roses is the accumulation of soluble salts that would normally be leached away from the roots if the shrub were planted in the ground. Many long-time container rosarians tell me they remove the rose from its container every three years, rinse the roots, change out the soil, and begin anew.

This tri-annual ritual also gives them an opportunity to solve another potential problem when containering roses - "rootbound" plants.

The rosarian who wants to grow roses in containers must be concerned with the root zone outgrowing the container's size. One of two things must occur - either the container must be upsized or the roots must be trimmed.

If roots are permitted to continue growing in the same container, the plant becomes rootbound. Roots will encircle the container, eventually displacing the soil. This problem is easy to identify. Water poured into the top of the container will immediately flow through to the bottom of the container and out the drainage holes.

Rootbound roses are also susceptible to heat stress. This occurs when the container is allowed to become too hot during the heat of summer. The increased temperatures can destroy root hairs and micorrhizal fungi; thus causing the rose to undergo heat or water stress. Some rosarians report success by placing their containers where they will receive some protection from the hot afternoon sun, thereby reducing the heat buildup in the container's walls.

Apart from the Miniatures - most of which can be grown in small spaces with little problems - many large-flowered roses can also be successfully grown in containers. Here are some excellent, high rated roses suitable for growing in containers.

'Baby Faurax' is a small Polyantha with a bloom reminiscent of a mauve R. multiflora. Rated at 7.5 (a medium "good") by those American Rose Society rosarians who grow it, it grows to 2 ft. (60 cm).

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