Mini Roses

Miniature roses are perfectly scaled, smaller versions of larger roses, with all the colors, forms, substance, and often, fragrance of full-sized roses. Like other types of roses, each variety of miniature rose has different characteristics, with plant size ranging between 6 inches and 4 feet or more and plant shapes that include bushy, compact, climbing, and cascading. No matter what the shape or growth habit, a good miniature rose has flowers and leaves in perfect proportion. Smaller definitely doesn’t mean less attractive, and in most cases, smaller does mean easier to grow. Their smaller habit makes miniatures ideal for growing in containers. The flowers provide bright and constant spots of color throughout the growing season, and you can cut their flowers for mini-bouquets and arrangements. The selection of varieties is awesome, and hundreds of new ones are introduced each year.

LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS: A Miniature Rose Plant needs very bright light in order to grow. If you don’t have a place where the Rose Plant gets several hours of direct sunlight, try moving it outdoors into the sun for a while each day once the danger of a frost is over. When there is insufficient light, Miniature Roses don’t bloom, the stems start to stretch, and the plant becomes thin.

CARE INSTRUCTIONS WATER: Miniature Roses require a great deal of water, especially when they are flowering. Since Miniature Rose plants are usually purchased in a small pot, be sure to check the soil every few days. Allow the top 1” (2.5cm) of soil in a Miniature Rose Plant to dry out before watering. During the winter, when a Miniature Rose is resting, keep the soil barely moist. Be careful not to get water on the leaves of a Miniature Rose Plant since this causes a fungus called black spot.

FERTILIZER: Feed a Miniature Rose Plant every two weeks in the spring and summer when it is actively growing. Use a fertilizer that is high in phosphorous (5-10-5) at ½ the recommended strength.

TEMPERATURE: Miniature Rose Plants do well in temperatures between 60-75 degrees (16-24 degrees C). Roses planted in containers are very susceptible to frost.

HUMIDITY: Miniature Rose Plants need moderate to high humidity. If your home is dry, especially in the winter, place a Miniature Rose Plant on a tray of wet pebbles. Be sure the plant is sitting on the pebbles and not in the water.

FLOWERING: Remove dead blooms from a Miniature Rose Plant as soon as they appear, this helps the plant bloom for a longer period of time. Always use a sharp pruner or scissors to cut the flowers off a Miniature Rose Plant, never just pull them off with your fingers. Tearing the stems of a Miniature Rose Plant, rather than cutting them at a 45-degree angle, damages the stem and encourages diseases. Once the plant finishes blooming and the weather warms up, move your Miniature Rose outdoors. Be sure to bring a Miniature Rose Plant back inside once the temperature goes below freezing.

PESTS: spider mite and Mealy Bugs are two houseplant pests that can infest an indoor Miniature Rose Plant. Rinse a Miniature Rose Plant once a week with a mild soapy water solution to help prevent infestations and keep the plant dust-free.

DISEASES: If kept too damp, Miniature Rose Plants, like their bigger cousins, develop a fungal plant disease called black spot. Immediately remove the infected leaves and treat your Miniature Rose Plant with a Fungicide recommended for black spot disease.