Grow roses in containers, and need advice for soil
forfunlife
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
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edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoforfunlife thanked edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28Related Discussions
Rose beginner needs advice on container roses
Comments (19)I have 18 roses in containers. My climber is in a 15 gallon plastic container and the rest are hybrid tea roses in 5 and 6 gallon containers (5 gallon plastic and what I am calling 6 gallon are terra cotta pots that are bigger than 5 gallons but not by much - they could be 7 gallons). My roses started bare root (with 2 exceptions - 1 pulled from the ground and 1 purchased already potted) 6 years ago. Obviously it's better to have a bigger pot, but I haven't had major problems with this size pot. I have changed the soil once so far just to keep it fresh. I fertilize every other week at 1/2 strength with liquid fertilizer similar to Miracle Gro and once per month I fertilize with fish emulsion and an organic slow-acting fertilizer like alfalfa meal, blood meal, or Grow More. I never apply all of this on the same day, so that usually means a schedule similar to: Wednesday Week 1 Organic granular fertilizer Saturday Week 1 Weak liquid fertilizer Saturday Week 2 Weak liquid fertilizer Wednesday Week 2 Spray fungicide Saturday Week 3 Weak liquid fertilizer Wednesday Week 3 Fish emulsion Saturday Week 4 Weak liquid fertilizer Wednesday Week 4 Spray fungicide (I try to do the nasty things like spray chemicals and smelly fish emulsion during the week so that my neighbors and I don't have to deal with it when we are BBQing and the like on the weekends.) I spray for insects when they become a problem, except that I do proactively spray all of my buds with spinosad because thrips are the bane of my existence. For instance, I don't think I sprayed an insecticide at all last year. Most years I end up spraying maybe twice. I don't want to kill the praying mantis and hover flies that I get. Fungicide is a different story and I spray every other week (the week I do not fertilize). I use Immunox alternated with Mancozeb/Banner Maxx. When I do use an insecticide I use one mixed with yet a different fungicide just to switch it up. That's about it. Here in CA I usually prune in January, although I pruned in February this year. We usually get 3 flushes per year, although I had 4 this year with the mild weather. The biggest challenge I face growing roses in containers is keeping them watered. A rose in the ground can withstand even the fiercest heat for a few days between waterings. My container roses need to be watered every day when the temperature is above 90 degrees and when it's 100+ sometimes I water them twice if they look sad when I get home from work. If I miss a day the roses don't die, but the new growth gets crispy and the flowers I work so hard for burn up. Luckily, this is usually just for a couple of weeks in July or August. Otherwise, I water 2-3x per week. Right now with the rain I am watering just 1x to supplement Mother Nature....See MoreNeed advice on Growing Fig trees in containers
Comments (6)Having grown numerous varieties in pots/tubs in recent years, my take is that the most important factor for harvesting figs is the variety. Soil, fertilizer etc. are considerably less important. "Petite Negra" has been the only consistent bearer of the bunch (after a few years, it is no longer so petite), but "Chicago Hardy" has also been producing figs the past two years. If you have a sheltered spot that doesn't get more than a couple degrees below freezing in winter, it should be fine for overwintering dormant figs. My garage works out well. The potted figs go back out in spring once frosts are unlikely. Of course, if you are primarily interested in foliage, they'll typically overwinter in the ground in zone 6 (above ground wood will be killed without very careful siting/protection). I haven't succeeded in harvesting figs from these overwintered specimens....See MoreNeed advice to transplant rose from container
Comments (4)My question is, is your garage insulated but unheated? If so then you could garage it until spring. Put it up on some wood blocks and remember to water it some every month. You can just put a shovel of snow on the top of the pot when you shovel but roses need water over the winter and since it's inside it won't get that naturally. If it's not insulated then it won't really be much protection. With the past two winters we've had I'm thinking planting would be better. Do it ASAP so it has as much time as possible to settle in before the ground freezes. Bury it deep to protect the crown as much as possible. Don't winter protect it too soon. You have to wait until it is completely dormant to put any kind of winter protection on it, There are two problems with covering them too soon. The first is that if it's still warm and the little critters haven't made their winter nests they'll find those leaves make a great nesting spot and your rose is a built in food source. I lost a few roses that way one year. The second problem is the purpose of covering is not to keep them warm but to keep them dormant in the spring when the temps are fluctuating a lot. You don't want them to come out of dormancy too soon and then get hit with a late killing frosts. The heavy mulching keeps the soil from thawing out and encouraging the rose to grow before it's time....See MoreNeed Advice on Soil for Small Miniature Roses
Comments (2)I got a mini at Trader Joe’s. After it sat on my window sill all December and into January, a red stripped rose for holiday decorations, I popped it out in the yard, without separating any of the little starts. No amendments or anything either. It is one of the best looking roses. I put it on a dripper and gave it liquid fertilizer when the rest of the roses got it. You are in Texas so fall is a great time to plant roses. A few people here have mentioned separating the multiple starts they always put in the pot, in order to get more plants, but in that case the root disturbance would mean you need to coddle them more after first planting meaning don’t let them dry out....See Morejim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
6 years agoforfunlife thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
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