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Minature Roses
Don't let the delicate appearance fool
you! These little gems are hardy enough
to grow outdoors in zones 6-10 without
winter protection, and with a good cover
of mulch they will survive winters as far
north as zone 4. Miniature roses are
surprisingly easy to grow, and they look
great as edgings for your beds or
borders, accent plants for rock gardens,
and as houseplants.
Miniature roses range in size from the
micro-minis which grow to about five
inches, up to a height four feet or more.
The flowers are from 1/2 inch to two
inches in diameter, and the range of
colors is similar to that of full-sized
roses. Most types will bloom from spring
until frost. Unfortunately, miniature
roses have little or no fragrance.
When grown indoors as pot plants,
miniature roses need a little special
care. Even when grown in the sunniest
window, they will usually need
supplemental light. You will know your
rose isn't getting enough light when the
stems seem to stretch out leaving wide
spaces between the leaves.
Miniature roses also need lots of
humidity if kept indoors. Set your pot in
a tray of pebbles and water. The pebbles
will support the pot above the water
level so the soil doesn't become
waterlogged. As it evaporates, the water
will provide the plant with extra
humidity. If you house is very dry, run a
cool-mist vaporizer now and then.
Spider mites and whiteflies are drawn to
indoor miniature roses. To reduce the
chances of these pests attacking your
plants, give them a weekly shower. Take
care to thoroughly rinse both the tops
and the undersides of the leaves. To
treat whiteflies, use an insecticidal
soap at five day intervals or spray with
a solution of four parts water to three
parts rubbing alcohol -- add a squirt of
dish soap for good measure -- and keep
the plant out of the light until the
alcohol dries completely.
Soap spray and alcohol spray also work
for spider mites, and you might also try
buttermilk spray: mix 1/2 cup buttermilk
with 4 cups wheat flour to 5 gallons of
water. Quarantine infested plants until
you are sure that the insects are
irradiated. In extreme cases, you can
strip the leaves off the plant and cut it
back by half. Don't worry, you won't kill
it, and you'll soon see signs of new
growth.
For the best blooms, use a fertilizer
that is high in potassium. The last
number in the N-P-K ratio indicates the
amount of potassium, and an N-P-K ratio
of 5-5-10 is a good choice. Mix the
fertilizer to about 1/4 strength and use
it once a week.
After your roses spend a season indoors,
it's best to plant them outdoors and get
new, disease and pest-free plants to use
indoors. They can be planted directly in
the garden or kept in containers, but
remember that outdoor plants in small
containers can dry out quickly. Harden
them off before placing them outdoors
permanently.
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