Christmas roses also do well in a bucket. Here you can find out what you need to pay particular attention to when planting and caring for Christmas roses in pots.
If you don't have a garden of your own, Christmas roses (Helleborus niger) can also be planted in a pot. The winter queen among flowers opens her blossoms when many other plants are in hibernation. The Christmas roses defy the cold without any problems. A location in a shady to semi-shady, sheltered place on the balcony or terrace is ideal. If a nutrient-rich, humus-rich soil is then used, nothing stands in the way of the splendor of the white or red Christmas roses with a little care.
In the following, we will explain how best to proceed when planting in pots. We have also summarized the most important maintenance points for you.
Suitable Christmas rose varieties for the pot
There are around 20 different Helleborus species, all of which are often incorrectly referred to as Christmas roses. By the way, another name of the plants is snow rose. Well-known are, for example, the oriental hellebore (Helleborus orientalis) and the "true" Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), which, like some other species, also grows in Europe can be found growing wild. However, since there are only a few copies left, they are usually under special protection. Fortunately, today there is also a large selection of different varieties of Christmas roses that you can purchase for cultivation. Here we have prepared a small selection of Christmas roses for you that are suitable for planting in containers:
- Helleborus niger 'HGC Joel': Bright white flowers; flowers from December; compact, medium growth; up to 20 cm high; suitable for semi-shady and shady locations.
- Helleborus niger 'Double Fashion': White, double flowers; blooms from December to April; reaches heights of about 20 cm; thrives in sunny and partially shaded locations; very good winter hardiness.
- Helleborus niger 'HGC Jacob': White flowers; blooms from November to February; strong and stable; medium growth; grows about 20 cm high; suitable for semi-shady and shady locations.
- Helleborus niger 'Praecox': early flowering variety; white, cupped flowers; blooms from November to December; sprawling growth; grows about 25 cm high; prefers partially shaded locations.
- Helleborus niger 'HGC Jericho': Large white flowers; flowers from December; dark green foliage; sprawling growth; grows about 25 to 30 cm high; suitable for partially shaded locations.
Tip: Christmas roses can also be wonderfully combined with other spring flowers such as snowdrops (Galanthus).
Planting Christmas roses in pots
In order for your Christmas rose to thrive in a pot, there are a few points to consider when planting. Christmas roses are deep-rooted, which is why you should choose a sufficiently large planter for your darling. A small opening at the bottom also ensures that excess water can drain away. Therefore, first of all, fill the pot with a drainage layer of potsherds, grit or expanded clay to avoid waterlogging. Good potting soil is ideal as a substrate, for example our peat-free and sustainable Plantura organic potting soil, which contains all the nutrients for a rich bloom.
To make the substrate permanently structurally stable, you can mix it with a third of crushed expanded clay or lava chippings. As a lime-loving plant, the Christmas rose also benefits if you mix a good handful of lime into the soil. Put some soil in the pot, form a planting hole and put the Christmas rose in the middle. Then fill the pot with the substrate and water the plant well so that the soil can settle. If you want to do something particularly good for the Christmas rose, cover the surface of the earth with moss, bark or bark mulch, which keeps the moisture in the pot ball and also looks decorative.
A semi-shady or shady spot on the balcony or terrace is ideal as a location. Caution: All parts of the Christmas rose are highly poisonous, so keep an eye out on curious children and animals. You can find out more about the toxicity of Christmas roses in our appropriate special article.
How to plant Christmas roses in potsright?
- Choose a sufficiently large pot or tub
- Insert drainage layer
- Mix substrate (e.g. our Plantura organic potting soil) with sand
- Insert Christmas rose
- Fill with substrate
- Water well
- Cover potting soil with moss or mulch material
Tip: Be sure to wear gloves when planting Christmas roses. Escaping plant juices from the poisonous buttercup plant (Ranunculaceae) could otherwise lead to skin irritation.
Caring for Christmas roses in pots: You should pay attention to this
You should take good care of your darling to ensure that your Christmas rose grows well in the pot and feels comfortable over the long term. The following aspects are particularly important when caring for your Christmas rose:
Watering the Christmas roses in the pot
Water your Christmas rose regularly to keep it from drying out. However, waterlogging should be avoided at all costs. Even in winter, it should be watered regularly on frost-free days and, if necessary, a layer of mulch made of leaves or compost should be applied to avoid moisture differences as much as possible. At sub-zero temperatures, the flowers sometimes appear "flabby". However, this is not due to a lack of water, but represents a protective reaction of the plant. The Christmas rose withdraws water from the pathways so that the frost does not rupture them. When temperatures rise, the plant will straighten itself up and continue flowering.
Fertilize Christmas roses in the pot
To ensure that your Christmas rose produces many flowers, you can already work some fertilizer into the substrate when planting. It is best to use an organic quality fertilizer with an organic long-term effect - such as our Plantura organic flower fertilizer. This is slowly decomposed and gradually releases the nutrients for the plant.
Wintering Christmas roses in pots
So that the root ball of the Christmas rose does not freeze through in the cold winter months, it is best to wrap the pot with bubble wrap or a jute sack during this time. If you place the planter on a wooden or styrofoam board, the Christmas rose is also protected from the cold from below. In the spring you can gradually cut off the withered flowers if you do not want to harvest seeds. Leave the foliage until it has withered completely.
Tip: If you want to cultivate Christmas roses indoors, you should choose a bright, cool place with a room temperature of 10 to 15 °Cchoose. A parking space in the heated living room, however, is not suitable for Christmas roses.
You can find detailed information on caring for Christmas roses in our special article.