Roses in pots: planting & care of potted roses

The fact that roses need a lot of space is a myth. We show you that roses can also be planted in pots and give tips on variety selection and care.

If you do not have enough space in your garden bed for a rose (Rosa), but still do not want to do without the queen of flowers, we have a very simple solution for you: after all, smaller roses thrive wonderfully in a pot on the balcony or in a tub on the terrace. Generally, rose varieties with a rather compact growth are best suited for this purpose. To ensure that your chosen rose then also produces many beautiful flowers and that you can enjoy your potted plant for as long as possible, however, you should consider some aspects when planting. Also, in this article we explain how to properly care for roses in pots and what measures you should take for successful overwintering.

Potted roses have special requirements for their location and care due to the limited space available. We explain below which varieties of roses are best suited to pots and what to consider when planting, as well as care.

Small varieties of roses for pots and tubs

For cultivation in a pot, flowering dwarf roses, bedding roses or noble roses with a compact growth are excellent. Shrub and climbing roses should not be too vigorous for pot culture since the space in the pot or tub is limited. Here is a small selection of roses that are suitable for pot culture:

• Dwarf rose ‘Lavender Ice’: Lavender coloured, medium-sized flowers with a delicate fragrance; bushy growth; reaches heights between 30 and 50 cm; very hardy.
• Dwarf rose ‘Roxy’: Bold double pink to purple flowers; not fragrant; height of growth from 30 to 40 cm; bushy growth; good foliage health; conditionally hardy.
• Dwarf rose ‘Maidy’: Red, semi-double flowers with white underside; grows rather upright bushy; reaches heights of up to 40 cm; only conditionally hardy.
• Bedding rose ‘Amber Queen’: Also called ‘Prince Eugene of Savoy‘ in Austria; produces yellow flowers with a slight rose fragrance; long blooming season; reaches heights up to 60 cm; grows rather upright and bushy.
• Bedding rose ‘Sirius’: Beautiful semi-double creamy white flowers; bushy to upright growth; grows up to 80 cm tall; very good foliage health; good winter hardiness.

A comprehensive collection of rose varieties for the pot and the garden bed can be found here.

Planting roses in a pot: location and method

When buying the rose, make sure that it is healthy and free of pests to avoid any nasty surprises. Next, you will need to choose a suitable location on the balcony or terrace. Roses here prefer an airy place with plenty of sun and warmth. Strong temperature fluctuations between day and night can increase the risk of frost damage to your prized rose, especially in early spring, so the rose in the container should be moved to a place protected from the wind with the onset of winter and receive winter protection.

Since roses are deep-rooted, you should choose a sufficiently deep pot or tub. The pot should not be an open-pored clay pot, as these lose a lot of water through evaporation and the rose thus quickly falls into drought stress. Since potted roses do not tolerate permanent waterlogging well, it is best to add a drainage layer of gravel or expanded clay at the bottom so that excess water can drain out of the hole in the bottom of the pot. Next, fill the planter with special rose soil or a mixture of garden soil, ready-made compost and clay granules such as bentonite. In addition, it is best to work a plant-based slow-release fertiliser such as our Plantura Rose Food into the soil right at the beginning. Every few years, you should then completely replace the substrate, because even the best substrate eventually collapses and becomes more and more compacted to the detriment of the rose roots.

Summary: Planting roses in a pot

1. Immerse dry pot ball or bare rose roots in water before planting
2. Prune roots a little
3. Fill with drainage material and a little soil
4. Do not plant rose too deep, grafting point just above soil level
5. Fill with soil, add slow-release fertiliser
6. Lightly press down the soil and water well
7. Cover the soil with mulch to prevent rapid drying out

Caring for roses in pots

If you have already provided good starting conditions when planting your roses, this will reduce the amount of care required for potted roses later on. We have summarised below what to keep in mind when watering, fertilising and pruning roses in a pot.

Watering

Roses generally have a fairly high water requirement. To find out if your potted rose should be watered, it’s best to do a finger test. If the substrate feels dry 5 cm below the surface, it is high time to water again. After watering, however, your rose should never be submerged in water, because potted roses do not tolerate waterlogging well at all. A drainage hole at the bottom of the pot and a drainage layer ensure that excess water can drain away.

Tip from a professional: Even during winter dormancy, when cultivating potted roses, make sure that the plant does not dry out completely. However, you should water only on frost-free days, so that the roots are not damaged.

Pruning potted roses

To maintain natural, healthy growth and abundant flowering, prune your roses in spring (March/April) just before new shoots appear. First, use sharp pruning shears to remove all diseased, withered and overly dense shoots. The process then differs depending on the type of rose. Shrub roses, for example, are almost never touched; only remove old shoots every few years. Bedding roses, on the contrary, can be radically cut back to a few buds above the ground every year in the spring. Flowering climbing roses are usually cut exclusively in the periphery: here, the side shoots of the leading shoots are shortened. For dwarf roses (dwarf Bengal roses), the rule is that about four to a maximum of eight healthy shoots remain, which are shortened by about a third. You can read everything about pruning different types of roses as simple instructions in our article on how to properly prune roses.

Note: Always make the cut about 5 mm diagonally above an outward-facing bud, regardless of the rose. Diseased shoots should also be removed during the growing season to prevent the spread of fungal diseases.

Fertilising roses in a pot

When planting potted roses, you can use a natural slow-release fertiliser such as our Plantura Rose Food, specially developed for the needs of roses, which decomposes over time and in this way gradually releases the nutrients for the plant. Roses have relatively high nutrient requirements. Therefore, from mid-May and as long as flowering continues, you can regularly supply your potted plant with liquid fertiliser, for example, a liquid fertiliser such as our Plantura Liquid Flower Food. You can even fertilise indoor potted roses into September. If you prefer to use a fertiliser with a long-term effect, two to three fertiliser applications per year are sufficient.

Rose Food, 1.5kg

(5/5)

• For beautifully flowering roses in pots & flower beds
• Prevents common rose diseases & ensures healthy growth
• Long-lasting fertiliser that is free from animal products - child & pet friendly

£12.99

Shop now!

Overwintering potted roses

If you would like to overwinter your potted rose outside, keep in mind that some rose varieties are not completely hardy and can be damaged by heavy frosts. Therefore, you should choose a sheltered place for the cold season – for example, by the wall of a house – and take appropriate protective measures early on. Here, above all, additional protection of the roots is of great importance. Direct contact with the ground should be avoided if possible. Therefore, it is best to place the pot or tub on a wooden or polystyrene board. Next, mound the rose with soil, mulch, or pine greenery to best protect the grafting site. In principle, it is also recommended to cover the entire centre of the rose bush with fir greenery and to provide high-trunk roses with a crown cushion, as well as stem protection. Finally, wrap the pot with jute bags or bamboo mats and tie them tightly.

Once well protected, usually nothing stands in the way of successful overwintering. However, if your garden is prone to very late frost and you usually have a harsh climate, it is best to bring the potted roses indoors and put them in a cool, dark room, for example, in the basement.