The dwarf rosebush has all the qualities to magnify a limited space. From the height of its 20 to 45 cm maximum, it really does not have to be ashamed in the face of the large varieties of roses. We love its long-lasting flowering, the beauty of its roses which come in a wide range of colors and whose scent is more or less pronounced. Here’s everything you need to know to care for a miniature rose bush so that it remains vigorous for many years and retains its enduring charm.
Plant a mini-rose or dwarf rose
fruit of crossing Between a Chinese rose and a bush rose, the dwarf rose or mini-rose, also commonly called the miniature rose, adorns many plant spaces for 200 years. This is a cultivar which, despite its reduced size, has as good an effect as a classic variety to which it opposes an insolent rivalry. Often grown in pots, it finds its place just as well in the ground, and allows structure beds and borders. Mini roses blend perfectly with countless ornamental species. Obviously, they should be placed in front of the other plants so as not to be quickly hidden.
It is important to choose the right exposure for your mini-rose bush and to plant it in a suitable growing medium. He needs a big brightness and of soleil. However, it is recommended to install it in partial shade rather than on a south-facing terrace where, throughout the summer, the heat is excessive, risking burning the leaves and flowers.
You plant your dwarf rose bush in soil that is sufficiently riche et very well drained. Garden soil mixed with potting soil may be suitable if it is not too compact. For a culture in pot, one takes care to choose a container fully drilled, buried rather than plastic, in which a layer of gravel or clay balls is first deposited and then a substrate composed of 30% potting soil, 30% compost, 30% good topsoil and 10% sand. It is possible to find soil for dwarf roses in most garden centers. Another solution is to mix 50% good soil for flowering plants and 50% sand.
It is thought to provide enough space for its roots. Let’s say a 45 cm pot of sides and height is perfect and that for a cultivation in the groundit is necessary to dig a hole about fifty centimeters deep then place a layer of loosened soil mixed with potting soil at the bottom before planting the miniature rose bush, the collar of which must imperatively be flush with the level of the ground.
Caring for a Miniature Rose
If you take good care of your mini-rose bush, it will display incomparable beauty from May until frost, depending on the variety.
Planting period
Ideally, mini-roses are planted between November and Februarystill outside frost period. This gives them time to take root well. But nothing prevents you from planting it during the other seasons provided you respect the following points: in summer, you take advantage of a day with little sunshine, and if you go through a period of drought, it is better to abstain and postpone his purchase until later. Beware also of late frosts which can rage until May in some of our regions!
watering
As dwarf varieties logically have a more moderate root system than classic varieties, dwarf roses will draw water less deeply. It is therefore necessary to pay particular attention to their watering, especially if you have opted for a pot culture because the substrate dries out very quickly as soon as it is hot.
Throughout the summer season (except in the case of very rainy summers), the miniature roses are watered every 3 days, early in the morning. Do not wet the leaves or the roses and do not drown the base of the plants as this promotes root rot. In any case, it is necessary to avoid soaking the soil by insane watering because this promotes cryptogamic diseases. The substrate should not be constantly wet. We therefore wait until it is dry on the surface to proceed to a new watering, if possible at the neck or thanks to a drip system. Finally, it is absolutely necessary empty the saucers after each watering or following a good rain.
Fertilisation
During the fall, specific fertilizer can be added to meet the magnesium and potash needs. In spring, a little boost is needed. Granules rich in magnesium are to be placed at the foot of roses in beds or in pots. Choose a fertilizer rich in magnesium for roses. Thereafter, a supply of liquid fertilizer for roses to be diluted in the irrigation water is welcome, from April to October, approximately every two weeks.
Cut
First of all, it is essential to remove faded roses as you go. In addition to preserving the highly decorative appearance of the dwarf rosebush, this promotes the production of new flowers. About the mini rose pruningit must be performed in spring, after the last frosts. It consists of reducing the branches by a third of their length.
A sanitized and well-sharpened pruner is used. It is important to cut cleanly, just above an outward facing bud. And so that rain or irrigation water does not clump together but can flow to the back of the eye, it is essential to bevel, making sure that the lowest point of the angled part is opposite the bud. We take advantage of this pruning session to eliminate dead branches, those that have suffered from frost, diseased branches and those that have grown inwards. Thus, the plant will regain a beautiful shape with an airy heart.
weeding
The advice applies mainly to plants in the ground. It would be a shame if the mini-roses disappeared under the weeds! It is therefore essential to use a hoe or to carry out weeding by hand very regularly.
Mulching
Laying a mulch or a layer of compost at the foot of the mini-roses is an excellent solution for keep the ground cool since this limits the evaporation process. So we save water. It is also useful for reduce the development of unwanted weeds. The gardener thus saves time since he passes the hoe less frequently. Note also that a mulch protects the root system against frost. Hemp flake, flax flake, wood shavings, cocoa shells, lawn clippings are suitable for roses. On the other hand, we avoid pine bark which acidifies the soil.
Surfacing
This consists of removing part of the soil from a pot and then replacing it with a brand new potting soil and very fertile. We proceed to surfacing in spring if you can’t repot.
Pests and diseases
The aphids are very common in all roses, mini or large. It is useful to carry out a preventive treatment with a spray of black soap diluted in rainwater. If an invasion of aphids is observed, the same regimen is applied but the application is repeated two or three times at four-day intervals.
On the disease side, it is essentially le marsonia which is to be suspected in the presence of black stains on the leaves around June when the nights are still cool and the days are warm. This fungal disease is caused by a pathogenic fungus, Marssonina rose, whose spores are dispersed by wind and water. Marsonia is especially present on badly pruned roses, many branches of which cross inside and prevent air and light from infiltrating.
Constant humidity is also a factor favoring this fungal disease. It is quite difficult to eradicate it, which is why we recommendremove all affected parts to avoid contamination of the entire rosebush. Nettle manure and porridge of sulfur products such as Bordeaux mixture are used both preventively and curatively.
One can find today a great diversity of varieties which leaves each gardener all the freedom to flower his space just with miniature roses if he wishes, especially since they are grown in the ground as well as in jar. They can therefore do wonders in a flower bed, a small massifon the terracethe balcony, the edge of a window or even under the entrance porch where they will welcome visitors with panache…