How to Grow a Rose Plant at Home

Indoor Miniature Roses

• 1

  Grow potted roses in a soil blend of 2 parts sphagnum peat moss, 1 part perlite and 1 part vermiculite. Add a fine layer of dolomite limestone and mix thoroughly.

• 2

  Enrich the soil blend with a slow-release 14-14-14 fertilizer. Select the brand and apply it at the rate listed on the manufacturer's label.

• 3

  Cover the bottom of a 6-inch planter with a ½-inch layer of gravel. A 6-inch pot is the ideal size for transplanting a miniature rose from a 2-inch nursery container. Place small pieces of hardwood charcoal on the gravel. Spread a thin layer of sphagnum peat moss on the charcoal. Moisten the soil blend you prepared and add it to the pot.

• 4

  Make a hole in the soil. Spread the rose roots out. Plant it with the root crown ½ inch under the surface. Fill the hole with soil and firm around the plant's base with your hands.

• 5

  Irrigate potted roses at three to four-day intervals to maintain the soil moist. Wash the underside and upper surface of the leaves in running water weekly to prevent diseases and pests. This washing also removes dust off the foliage.

• 6

  Dilute a soluble 5-10-10 fertilizer to 1/4 strength. Water the miniature rose with that solution once weekly.

• 7

  Cut the rose stems back by 2/3 in late winter or early spring while the plant is dormant. The severe pruning induces branch development when the bush breaks from dormancy. Place a clear plastic bag over the trimmed potted plant. Remove it as soon as you spot new growth.

• 8

  Place the roses at a west- or south-facing window for exposure to bright sunlight. Alternatively, raise them under a grow lamp 14 to 16 hours daily.

• 9

  Prune off faded flowers to keep the plant producing new blooms. Trim the stems back by 1/3, six weeks after the first flush of blossoms appears. A new crop of blooms will sprout.

Outdoor Rose Bushes

• 10

  Grow outdoor roses where they receive six to eight hours of sunlight daily. Select a site that drains within one hour of irrigation or average rainfall. Space multiple rose bushes 2 feet apart for adequate air circulation among the plants, preventing disease. Transplant bare-root bushes in late fall, late winter or early spring. Save late spring for planting container-grown roses.

• 11

  Till the ground to a depth of 12 inches with a shovel prior to planting the roses. Spread on the surface 1 part manure for every 2 parts soil. Broadcast 4 lbs. of 8-8-8 fertilizer per 100 square feet of rose garden. Incorporate the amendments into the ground uniformly. Rake the surface to smooth it out.

• 12

  Install a soaker hose 2 inches from the base of the plant to irrigate it, while keeping the foliage dry. Water rose plants to a depth of 8 inches once weekly.

• 13

  Build a 3-inch-deep mulch ring around the rose plant. Start the mulch pile about 2 inches from the base of the shrub to leave space for air to circulate. Extend the mulched area to below the rose's outermost branch. Use pine straw, dead leaves or pine bark to slow water evaporation and suppress weeds.

• 14

  Fertilize newly planted roses for the first time after they produce the first flush of flowers. Begin to feed established plants after the first leaves unfurl in spring. Continue to nourish the shrub once after every blooming period through the growing season. Suspend fertilization six weeks before you expect the first frost in your area. Select a brand of rose or shrub food. Apply it at the rates listed on the manufacturer's label. Do not let the product touch the plant's stems. Water it in right after broadcasting it around the rose.

• 15

  Deep-water the rose bush and build a thick and tall mound of mulch or topsoil against the canes to prepare it for the winter. Remove and discard the insulation in spring to eliminate potential overwintering pests. Add a fresh layer of mulch as described in step 4.