Roses in pots: caring for & plants

It's a myth that roses need a lot of space. We will show you that roses can also be planted in pots and give tips on choosing a variety and care.

If you don't have enough space for a rose (Rosa) in your garden bed, but you still don't want to do without the queen of flowers, we have a very simple solution for you : After all, smaller roses also thrive in pots on the balcony or in tubs on the patio. In general, rose varieties with a rather compact growth are best suited for this. To ensure that your chosen rose produces many beautiful flowers and that you can enjoy your potted plant for as long as possible, you should consider a few aspects when planting. In this article we will also explain to you how to properly care for roses in pots and what measures you should take for a successful overwintering.

Due to the limited space available, potted roses have special requirements in terms of their location and care. In the following we explain which types of roses are best suited for pots and what needs to be considered when planting and caring for them.

Small rose varieties for pots and tubs

For cultivation in pots, flowering dwarf roses, bed roses or hybrid tea roses with a compact growth are ideal. Shrub and climbing roses should not be too vigorous for a pot culture, because 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, medium-sized flowers with a light fragrance; bushy growth; reaches heights between 30 and 50 cm; very hardy.
• Dwarf rose 'Roxy'
  Very double pink to violet flowers; not fragrant; growth height from 30 to 40 cm; bushy growth habit; good leaf he alth; conditionally hardy.
• Dwarf Rose 'Maidy'
  Red, semi-double flowers with white undersides; grows rather upright bushy; reaches heights of up to 40 cm; only conditionally hardy.
• Beetrose 'Amber Queen'
  In Austria also 'Prinz Eugen von Savoyen' called ; brings yellowflowers with a light rose scent; long flowering period; reaches heights up to 60 cm; grows rather upright bushy.
• Beetrose 'Sirius'
  Beautiful semi-double creamy white flowers; bushy to upright growth; grows up to 80 cm high; very good leaf he alth; good hardiness.

You can find a comprehensive collection of rose varieties for the pot and the garden bed here.

Planting roses in pots: location and procedure

When buying the rose, make sure that it is he althy and pest-free to avoid nasty surprises. The next step is to choose a suitable location on the balcony or terrace. Roses prefer an airy place with lots of sun and warmth. Strong temperature fluctuations between day and night can increase the risk of frost damage for your darling, especially in early spring, so the rose in the tub should be moved to a wind-protected place at the beginning 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 quickly becomes subject to drought stress. Since pot roses do not tolerate permanent waterlogging, it is best to put in a drainage layer of gravel or expanded clay right at the beginning so that excess water can drain out of the hole in the bottom of the pot. Then fill the planter with special rose soil or a mixture of garden soil, compost and clay granules such as bentonite. In addition, it is best to work a primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic rose fertilizer into the soil right at the beginning. You should then replace the substrate completely every few years, as even the best substrate will eventually collapse and become more and more compacted to the detriment of the rose roots.

Summary of planting roses in pots:

1. Soak dry root ball or bare rose root in water before planting
2. Shorten roots a little
3. Fill in drainage material and some soil
4. Do not insert rose too deeply, grafting point just above earth level
5. Fill up with soil, add slow release fertilizer
6. Press the soil lightly and water well
7. Cover the soil with mulch to prevent rapid drying out

Caring for roses in pots

If you are plantingIf.webp you have already provided good starting conditions, the care required for potted roses will be limited later. We have summarized below what you need to consider when watering, fertilizing and cutting roses in pots.

Watering the roses in the pot

Roses generally need a lot of water. The best way to find out whether your potted rose should be watered is to do a finger test. When the substrate feels dry 5 cm below the surface, it is high time to water again. After watering, your rose should never sink into water, because potted roses don't tolerate waterlogging very well. A drainage hole at the bottom of the pot and a drainage layer ensure that excess water can drain away.

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

Pruning roses in a pot

To maintain natural, he althy growth and plentiful flowering, you should prune your roses in spring (March/April) just before new shoots appear. First, use sharp pruning shears to remove all diseased, dried-up and densely growing shoots. Depending on the rose class, the further procedure differs. Shrub roses, for example, are hardly touched at all, only old shoots are removed every few years. Bed roses, on the other hand, are radically cut back to a few buds above the ground every spring. Climbing roses that bloom more often are usually only cut on the periphery: the side shoots of the leading shoots are shortened here. For dwarf roses (dwarf bengal roses), about four to a maximum of eight he althy shoots remain, which are shortened by about a third. You can read all about pruning the different classes of roses as simple instructions in our article on pruning roses correctly.

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

Fertilize roses in the pot

When planting potted roses, you can use some mostly organic long-term fertilizersuch as our Plantura organic rose fertilizer, specially developed for the needs of roses, which decomposes over time and in this way gradually releases the nutrients for the plant. Roses have a relatively high nutrient requirement. From mid-May and as long as the flowering continues, you can therefore regularly supply your plant in the pot with liquid fertilizer, for example with an organic liquid fertilizer such as our Plantura organic flower & balcony fertilizer. You can even fertilize potted roses indoors until September. If you prefer to use a fertilizer with a long-term effect, two to three fertilizer applications per year are sufficient. You can find out more about fertilizing roses in our dedicated article.

Overwintering roses in pots

If you want to overwinter your potted rose outside, you have to consider that some types of roses are not completely hardy and can be damaged by severe frosts. You should therefore choose a sheltered parking space for the cold season - for example on a house wall - and take suitable protective measures early enough. Additional protection of the roots is particularly important here. Direct contact with the ground should be avoided as far as possible. It is therefore best to place the pot or bucket on a wooden or polystyrene board. Then pile up the rose with soil, mulch, or pine greens to protect the grafting area as best as possible. In principle, it is also advisable to cover the entire center of the rose bush with fir green and to provide standard roses with a crown cushion and trunk protection. Finally, wrap the pot in jute bags or bamboo mats and tie them tight. Well protected, nothing stands in the way of a successful hibernation. If your garden is very endangered by late forest growth and you usually have a harsh climate, bring the potted roses indoors to be on the safe side and place them in a cool, dark room, for example in the basement.

Brunch roses are particularly decorative and can be kept very well in pots. You will find the best tree rose varieties in our special article.