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Help, I am killing a mini rose

16 years ago

My dd bought a little rose for her dorm but it wasn't getting enough light, so she brought it home for me to take care of until she gets an apartment this summer.

The leaves are falling off, turning yellow, and looks pretty sad. It's in a pot a little bigger than a 4" and I water it when it's dry. It's in a west facing window (it's either that or north window).

What can I do to save this pitiful thing? I have never been able to grow a rose.

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Comments (5)

hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
16 years ago
Roses are NOT house plants. Put it outside. You may need to gradually introduce it to outdoor temperatures if it is very cold, so it is not shocked going from a warm house to freezing outdoor temperatures. If you have an unheated sunporch where it can have some protection in making the transistion to the outdoors, that would be a good spot for a while.

If you don't want to take it out of the pot, dig a hole in the ground in a very well drained location and "plant" it, pot and all, until spring. At that time you can repot it to a bigger pot or plant it in the ground. Those mini roses that people buy usually have 4 plants per pot, so you can split them into 4 plants or into 4 pots or whatever.

Roses are not appropriate plants for dorm rooms--get your DD an Aspidistra ("Cast Iron Plant") or Sanseveria that can handle indoor conditions and neglect.
stephanotis_1
16 years ago
It needs a bigger pot, get it outdoors, give it some vitamin b-12, and get her a different plant for indoors. Pothos are awesome! They require hardly any water, don't need much light, and live forever (almost). My dad gave me one when I went to college, and I had that thing for 10 years until I completely neglected it to death, literally. Now I know better, and take care of them a bit more, but still not much. I have 4 right now, and love them because they give me the time to concentrate on my roses!
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It's very normal in cold climates to have further die back in the spring after the first pruning. Sometimes the cane may look green and healthy so we leave it thinking it's OK. But there has already been some freeze damage to the cells and so it slowly turns dark and dies off and needs to be pruned off. You have lots of healthy looking new growth there so there's no cause for alarm. Your roses will be fine. As for the black spot. Your pruners have nothing to do with it. It's out there, everywhere! In the soil, in the air on the plants, it's there. Whether you clean your pruners between cuts or not if you're in a black spot area you'll have it. Unless you spray religiously. Cleaning the pruners is more for reducing the spread of other transmittable diseases such as gall, canker and rose rosette disease. I used to do it faithfully but it's a total pain in the butt so I don't do it at all now unless I'm cutting something out because it's diseased and I can see it. I haven't noticed any big difference in the occurrence of any problems as a result.
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I haven't done this but suggest you take your hose and wash it off. If you happened to do it on a hot day you may have burned some leaves. It may shed a few leaves and pout but I doubt it'll die. Water as usual but don't fertilize until you see some new growth.
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Now comes some tidbits from a Floridian! First, Rexes do not thrive in FL. They are grown in temp controlled greenhouses with swamp coolers, which is why you see them for sale. Although it may feel muggy if you are in one, the temp is lowered during the day and cooled at night - relatively. There are newer rex/rhizo hybrids I am growing with success, but pure rexes never make it in our hot, wet summers. It is truly the hot nights that kill them. 80F lows are not uncommon. In habitat, rexes see 68-70F at night. Secondly, whomever started this thread is growing in soil that is way too heavy. I use Fafard #2 with additional perlite and pine bark added. I also keep my begonias barely potted up - like a few inches larger when they need it. That ensures the soil does not stay wet, which kills begonias. If you struggle to pick up a bag of soil, it is too heavy. I have five foot canes in 3 gallon pots. I can easily pick up a 3 gallon cane with one hand - that is what they prefer. Keeping that in mind should help you grow great begonias! Picture is my bench of 'River Nile'! Greg Sytch, ABS Horticultural Corresondent
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I'm tired of killing mini's
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Comments (3)
Take them outside and plant them in the ground! Roses do not grow well indoors. Most homes are too dry and do not meet the light requirements to grow healthy roses. Even in your sunniest window! Those grocery store and gift rose plants are meant to be throw aways but they don't have to be if they are planted out in the garden. As for that long cane, the thing you need to know is that "mini" only refers to the size of the bloom and leaves not the size of the plant. Mini rose plants can and will grow as large as any other rose, 3 to 4 feet or more tall. And there are "mini" climbers that can get 8, 10 or 12 feet high and wide.
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seil zone 6b MI
16 years ago
Ditto all of the above. Roses hate being indoors. If it was one of those cute mini roses they sell at the grocery stores and big box stores there will be more than one plant in the pot. Seperate them, repot them and put them outside. You will probably have to harden them off slowly to the cooler temps and I'd keep them in partial shade in the beginning too but when they get some leaves get them in full sun. Even if all the leaves fall off don't despair. Keep them watered and give them a little diluted fertilizer and wait. They'll leaf back out soon.
karl_bapst_rosenut
16 years ago
Don't be too disapointed if you lose it. Most of these are forced in Canadian greenhouse with special fertilizers and artificial lighting, lots of humidity, and pesticides. They are very tender and are meant to be enjoyed then tossed.
Yes, they can be hardened off and grown outdoors, sunrooms, or those special plant windows. Most though end up in the trash can.
petaloid
16 years ago
Here's a link to good advice:

Here is a link that might be useful: How to save a potted gift rose

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