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Hi there! We hope that you have read our previous post on Growing Miniature Roses and found that useful. If not please do try to read that as this post covers the care that miniature rose plants require, assuming that you already have started growing them.
Let us see about some of the great tips and points on how to maintain your roses healthy and beautiful.
Compost:
As you may have imagined compost might be the most important thing for health of almost any plant. Miniature roses too require a lot of phosphorous rich nutrition to produce healthy blossoms. As this may sound something more scientific and a bit geeky there is a well know face that can help us with this phosphorous richness – Banana. Banana is a rich phosphorous supplier. Make sure that the compost you use for the miniature roses consists of more banana peels.
You can also follow any one of these methods to make banana work for your plant.
- You can chop banana peels and bury beneath the roses (in the area beneath leaves, but not against the stem). Dig carefully to avoid disturbing roots. Bury peels about 4 inches deep.
- You can also grind the peels in a blender, adding water if needed. Allow the solution to sit for 15 minutes. Apply directly to soil beneath a rose. Use any solid residue with your compost pile.
Mulch:
Mulch is a nature’s great way to have control over a lot of things in ground. It is a layer of organic material (generally) applied to the surface of the soil around the plant. Its uses include
- Conserving moisture
- Improving the fertility and health of soil
- Reducing weed growth
Miniature roses also require mulch. Old leaves, sawdust, shredded newspaper and cardboard, grass etc. can be used for this purpose. Just make sure none of them contain any chemicals.
Pests:
When coming to pests spider mites and aphids are the common insects that attack these plants. A strong spray of water (daily) will keep the plants free of mites, breaking up their webs and knocking them off the leaves. For aphid control, spray with water or a liquid soap and water solution, but flush off the soap the next day to prevent clogging the leaf pores.
Diseases:
Black spot and powdery mildews are the diseases common in these plants. Both are caused by fungal attacks. Black spots can be cured by spraying one/ two tablespoons of baking soda mixed with a gallon (approx. 3.7litres) of water and a drop or two of bleach free dish soap. Spraying milk diluted with water (1:10 ratio) is the best homemade cure for powdery mildews.
Pruning:
Miniature roses require pruning in early spring. Start by removing all the dead wood, as well as any stem that look discolored. Then, you need to cut back any lateral stems that overlap one another as these will compete for sun light once the leaves fully open. Lastly, cut back the remaining stems about one third of their current height and you can also prune for desired shape.
After this cleanup the area around the base of your roses and get rid of all the dead leaves and debris which may be from the previous growing season. When growing miniature roses, never let decayed matter lay around as this could lead to various pests and diseases. Also, finish up pruning by giving roses a fresh layer of mulch to start off the growing season.
Propagation:
These minions are propagated by stem cutting method. The appropriate time to do cutting is when you find the thorns bending. In addition, the shoot should be 3-4 inches long so that they can produce roots well.
After cutting the stems keep them in small individual pots or packets with soil. Water them only with warm water as cold water can lead to rot. Do not keep them in direct sunshine until the roots start to grow. Keep them in warm places. Average rooting time for the miniature roses is 3-6 weeks. After this period, they can be transferred to soil or bigger pots.
Uses:
They are mainly grown for ornamental purposes as their pleasant colors give a soothing look to your gardens and indoors. Apart from this they are used in bouquets. They are also used to decorate rooms/ halls on special occasions. Certain species of miniature roses are grown to extract scent.
We hope that this post was helpful to you. Feel free to express your methods of growing miniature roses and problems that you have faced or are facing in the comments. Also, if you have any question feel free to comment that too. We are very happy to help you.
We will be back with another amazing post. To read this post in Tamil click here.
Thank you!!
Happy farming!!