How to Grow Roses in Containers

Potted roses are a great way to add beauty and elegance to your garden or patio. With the right care, these beautiful blooms can look stunning year-round. From climbing roses that can be trained to trail onto trellises, to miniature roses that make great container plants, there is a potted rose for every situation.

Planting potted roses is easy and can be done in just a few steps. Once planted, they require regular watering and pruning to keep them healthy and looking their best. With a little bit of effort, you can have potted roses that will bring color and life to your outdoor space for years to come.

Tips for success

1. Select an appropriate container large enough to accommodate the root ball of the plant. Typically, a container between 8-15 gallons will be sufficient.

• Plastic and fiberglass are lightweight and come in various sizes.
• Terra cotta is a timeless choice but is also a porous material which requires watering more frequently.
• Glazed ceramic pots are beautiful, come in many colors, sizes, and styles, and are non-porous so they retain water efficiently.

2. Excellent drainage is essential when container rose gardening. If the soil is too wet, the roots will rot. Choose a pot with drainage holes at the bottom. Add/drill drainage holes yourself if your container does not have them.

3. Roses love well-draining, rich soil. A potting mix and compost combination is ideal for container rose gardening. Utilize a ratio of two-thirds potting mix and one-third compost. Add a slow-release granular rose fertilizer currently to the soil.

4. Gently pack the soil around the root ball, adding more of the potting mix-compost to bring the soil level back up to the top of the root ball.

5. Give the container a deep drink of water and mulch the soil surface after planting. A two-inch layer of natural bark mulch helps the soil hold moisture and reduces the need to water.

Roses love the sun and require a minimum of 5-6 hours of sunlight per day. Potted roses are easy to move around to locate a sunny place on your porch, deck, or front entrance. Ensure air circulation by positioning your potted roses allowing room between nearby plants, structures, etc. Good airflow reduces the occurrence of disease.

Caring for potted roses 

Keeping your roses looking beautiful and healthy requires four steps:

1. Watering – moist, well-drained soil. Daily watering during the hot summers.
2. Fertilizing – use a slow-release or liquid rose fertilizer to avoid burning the roots.
3. Deadheading
4. Pruning
5. Mulching - when the temperatures drop, put some extra mulch on top of the soil to help insulate the rose.

To find the perfect variety of roses, visit our website to shop roses online from our large selection or head in store with our handy 2023 Rose List in hand and find the perfect roses for you.

Follow these steps and enjoy a “rosey” future with potting!