Lesson 8: Raised Beds And Container Gardening
Potted Roses
Are you an urban gardener? And have you always wanted to grow roses? You can! I grew 30 roses in containers very successfully for over 4 years. In this article, I’ll show you how to have a mini rose garden on your patio or porch. The first thing you need to find out is where the best spot for your new rose should be. Roses need a minimum of 6 hours of morning sun to grow successfully. Although a few roses can do well in some shade, most require sunlight to bloom and develop their fragrances. A sunny post or fence is perfect for a lush climber. Miniature roses are great for porches and pathways. Tree roses make perfect container specimens when you want a more formal look.
The size of the container is critical to successful rose growing. I use 18-inch or bigger pots, up on pot feet. Pot feet help avoid the baking temperatures soil can reach when placed directly on concrete. It can be 90 degrees outside, but the soil can reach temperatures of 130 degrees, baking roots, and ultimately killing the bush. Avoid pots that taper down at the bottom. The rose needs plenty of room to spread its roots. I prefer terra cotta, as it’s porous and doesn’t hold moisture around the roots, causing root rot. Durastone is another excellent choice. If you do use plastic, make certain there are enough drainage holes in the bottom to allow excess water to drain off. Placing pebbles or Styrofoam beads in the bottom of the pot will slow the water down a bit.
Don’t skimp on your soil. Use a top quality rose mix or make up your own. I have a 5-gallon paint bucket. I mix compost, bonemeal, sulfur, peat and Kelloggs GroMulch. Using manure in container planters is not a good idea, as the chance for burning the plants is greatly increased. I use this mix both for starts and for planting new roses.
When you are ready to plant, hill up a small amount of soil in the bottom of the pot. Place your rose, which has been soaking in a bucket of tepid water and rooting hormone, into the pot. Start filling in, pressing down gently to remove air pockets. Fill the pot until the bud union is just beneath the soil. You can add a layer of cocoa mulch to help hold in moisture. Water well. Prune off any damaged canes, and place the rose in its new home.
Watering is even more important for container grown roses. They dry out much more rapidly, and will need more frequent watering when temperatures are high. I watered mine in the early morning and again in the early evening. Feeding requirements are also much higher in your container roses. I feed mine once a week with fish emulsion and twice a month with a small amount of granular feed.
Take a fork or small hand rake and turn the soil frequently to keep it nice and loose. You can tuck a half of a banana peel into the soil once a month for an extra boost. Coffee grounds are an excellent amendment when added infrequently to large amounts of soil. But for containers, grounds often causes burning so they are best left for the garden. By using a little thought in the choice of container, the type of soil, and the amount of sunlight available, almost anyone can grow roses. The starkest landscape is improved by the dark green foliage and beautiful colors roses bring to our gardens.
Topic Of Discussion: Have you ever tried growing roses in containers. If not, why?
