During the summer, many retailers supply roses already potted up into protective nursery pots with fresh growth beginning to appear. These are great if you want to avoid having to plant up in the middle of winter, as they can be planted all year round. In this guide we will explain how to go about growing and caring for this brilliant varieties.
What are Potted Roses?
Potted roses tend to be more established and can be planted all-year-round but if you can’t plant them straight away they can be left in their nursery pots for as long as you need. You’re fine to keep them outside as long as they’re well-watered and kept frost free. Plant in the same way you would a bare root (above) but instead of digging a whole to fit the roots, dig one to fit the pot. Use a fork to break up the soil at the base of the hole to allow the roots to grow deep into the hole – now your hole is ready! Before planting, water the plant well, then gently pop the plant out of its nursery pot. Loosen the soil around the roots with your fingers then place into your hole. Lightly firm the soil around your rose and water in well. To plant into a pot or container, follow the same steps, just be sure to use a container big enough to allow your rose to grow. Deadhead regularly during the summer months to encourage more flowers and growth and water at least weekly, especially in warmer weather.
Potted Roses Rose Care information
When planting, it is often best to use a Rose & Shrub Feed instead of Fish Blood & Bone. Although either will do. Roses should be planted about 1-1.2m (3-4ft) apart, although they can be pruned to size quite easily. You should prune roses annually in early spring, before the new growth starts. Remove old and thin stems, cutting them down by about 60%, using good quality secateurs. Full details on how to do this are below.
Pruning Potted Roses
Start by removing any dead or diseased stems. You can do this with a pair of secateurs, loppers or shears. If there are any stems that are weak or spindly, you should remove them first as they can rob energy from the bush.
Next, determine which stems need to be trimmed back. Generally, you want to keep the overall shape of the bush intact and aim to cut back no more than one-third of the plant. Having said this, don’t be afraid to be quite brutal as any growth trimmed off will grow back as part of the plants natural cycle. Use sharp shears to make clean, angled cuts.
Small leaves on the plant usually indicate a lack of nutrients in the compost so don’t be afraid to get rid as this will help encourage new, better growth, and keep the plant looking healthy. When it comes to standard roses you will want to prune so that the foliage is in a lollipop shape.
When should I prune my roses?
As general rule, the best time to prune standard roses is between late winter and early spring.
This will give them enough time to establish new growth ahead of the main growing season.
However, this is not always the case and if it doubt, it is always best to consult the care instructions provided with the plant or on the retailers website.
Aftercare for Potted Roses
Once you are done pruning the foliage and dead wood, you should repot the plant. To do this simply turn it upside down and ease the root ball out of the pot. Trimming any long trailing roots that you see is a good idea as this will encourage the plant to make new, more fibrous roots.
When you are done then add a little bit of fresh compost to the bottom of the pot. Some people at this stage like to add a bit of gravel or broken slate at the bottom to provide a bit of excess drainage. However, this is not necessary with modern composts such as our premium professional variety. Whatever you decide to add, when you are done place the plant root ball back in the pot.
Push some fresh compost down the sides so that the plant stands nice and straight. Then add a bit of compost on top and pat this down; don’t firm it up too much though, you don’t want to stop water from finding its way down to the roots.
An optional step is to add mulch on top. This is not absolutely necessary but will protect the roots from frost in winter, ensure that the roots stay nice and moist in drier times of the year and dissuade weeds from growing.
Finally, give the plant a good watering so that the soil is damp but not soaking.