A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Opinions on my Minature Roses - Think they need help

Since I was seeking advice on my Hibiscus I thought I would go ahead and get some advice on my Miniature roses. I have 2 half barrels w/ miniature roses in them. I know I have Japanese Beetles. After learning my lesson w/ a soap mixture and plants I am going to buy a beetle trap. I have been feeding and watering my roses regularly, but I just do not think they look right. Any help would be wonderful! I have sent pictures below

THANK YOU SO MUCH
Ronda

Hi Ronda,

One nice thing about miniature roses is that they can be pruned at any time of the year. So you may want to shape your roses. Although the flowers remain small the bushes do not so you need to deal with that.

If you have had the same heat waves I've had over here in Virginia then your miniature roses are doing great. Mine went totally dormant during the 90 degree heatwave. Right now all I have are some leaves just starting to come back.

Next roses should be dead headed unless you plan to harvest the seeds. That will promote more blooms.

Other than that I might suggest that you remove the dead leaves from under the bushes and put down a nice mulch.

Next suggestion is that you water their toes not their nose and that you be careful not to splash soil up on to the plants. They don't like that.

Thankyou for the pictures they are great.

TK,
Thank You for the compliments and advice. A couple of question from a black thumb. When the blooms look "sad" I do tear them off, but how do you harvest the seeds?

When you say a "nice mulch", do you mean like a tree bark type mulch or do you mean something else?

Thanks again!
Ronda

Yes tree bark is a good mulch to use.

If you want to harvest the seeds leave the bloom on the plant even as it dies and the hip (round part below the petals) turns brown. Then snip it off and inside you will find seeds. Usually around 20 per hip.

The trade off is that you will get less blooms if you let the plant go to seed. Also growing miniature roses from seed is very difficult and time consuming.

I haven't been successful yet but I keep on trying.

TK,
Thank You!
Have a great weekend!
Ronda

Ronda

Few more hints.

You should give the some miracle gro......they like fertilizer too.....Once a month maybe.
In the winter i just give mine a little protection. Like those small type plastic fences ..Put it over the tops like an arch and stake it with sticks.

I have red stripie and he is so cute.

dodge