Using cacti soil for miniature rose?

5 years ago

Hi! Recently bought a miniature rose at Harris Teeter for Christmas, the pot that holds the plant looks quite small in contrast from the outside decorative pot. So I want to change its soil and I only have cacti soil from Miracle Gro, can I use that for the plant? I am planning on planting it outside as spring arrives, so I am not sure if the miniature rose will last that long with that soil. Please help. Thanks :)

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Comments (4)

oldrosarian
5 years ago
Cactus don't need much nutrient but roses do. If you want to use the cacti soil, add some liquid fertilizer for house plants with it. Don't forget to mist it with a sprayer just one spritz a day. Most homes are very dry and warm. and that will dry out the rose and kill it.
Mystical Aura thanked oldrosarian
Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
It will last best as it is now until planting outside in spring. I would not up-pot it at this time. With the miserable rose growing conditions inside the average home, the rose will already be pretty stressed. It could die from more stress.

You will probably find, come spring planting, that there are several plants jammed together in that little pot. You can separate them at that time if so.

Putting the separated roses in individual, appropriately sized pots, and grown that way for 8-12 weeks, then planted in ground would give better results than planting them right into the ground come spring . They will be much huskier after their potted period is over, than if directly planted into the ground right when it's safe to do so in spring.

Use a good, general purpose potting mix, not cactus mix.

Those gift miniature roses are usually toss out, throw away plants, once done blooming. They are primarily greenhouse, disease prone plants that are meant to be pretty for a couple weeks, then the show's over. You may have success with them, but I can almost guarantee you will face a challenge growing them successfully.

Moses
Mystical Aura thanked Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
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The reason you can't trust the volume of nursery pots, Jim, is that those black nursery containers are all "nominal" sizes. That means the volume of the pots is vaguely related to the stated gallon size. A "5 galllon" nursery can is 10.5 in. diameter and 12 in. tall. My online calculator says that is only 3.75 gallons if you pot 2 inches from the top of the pot. That isn't large enough for any rose past the first year or so if it puts on vigorous growth. The foot stomping is an old landscaper practice. It's just a cheap way of determining settlement without taking the time to water a plant in. I wouldn't do it. Water your plant in to settle the soil. I've seen people planting roses into dry potting soil. I wouldn't do it. Many potting soils have peat moss which sheds water once dry. Those of you in climates with steady rain year round may not have this problem, but in the desert West, once peat dries out, it takes a concerted effort to dampen it. I open the bag of soil, stick the hose in, fill it up and mix. Then I pot with dripping wet potting soil and also water it in. It's mud pies for grownups. It assures that the soil comes to the optimal height in the pot (about 2 inches down) and fills major air pockets. I unpot roses all the time and have never found an air pocket. I don't drop pots on purpose. Our summers are too hot to grow a lot of roses in pots well. We can't keep the roots cool enough through June and July. I overpot extensively. A 3 x 3 rose goes in an ornamental pot that is 22-24 inches high. I use various decorative pots from the big box store and always buy the biggest size. Why? They bring to rose up to height and look more in scale with a landscape. It's funny how a pot looks big in a store and miniature in the garden. Also, with those big pots I'm approaching the 15 gallon actual size I find any healthy rose needs. I do a seat of the pants volume-of-cone calculation to guesstimate the volume of the pot, taking into consideration the potting soil is probably 3 inches from the top of the container. Here's a nice online volumetric calculator. http://www.online-calculators.co.uk/volumetric/conevolume.php
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Hi Michelle! First off, where do you live or what zone are you in. I see that google page is in Celsius, are you in Canada? If it is at all possible you need to get the rose outside and keep it outside. ROSES ARE NOT HOUSE PLANTS!!! I know they sell these gift roses for inside but they are also meant to be disposable once they stop blooming. That way they can sell you more, lol! That's also why they stick in three or four cuttings to make the pot look fuller and have more blooms to attract buyers. But they do not have to be disposable if they are put outside where roses belong. It would actually do best planted in the ground. I would not recommend trying to separate them Some people have been successful at it but it's a very iffy proposition and you could lose them all. I would just re-pot them up into a little larger pot as a unit. Make sure your pot has good drainage holes and DO NOT put a tray under it. The water needs to be able to drain freely out the bottom. Always use a good light weight potting soil too. No top soil or garden soil, it's too heavy and won't drain well. It looks like you are going to have some rain this week so that should be plenty of water. Roses like about an inch of water per week. That's not a lot in a small pot so don't over water it. Only water it if when you stick your finger into the soil up to the second knuckle and it comes out dry. You don't say what kind of critters you're worried about but usually the worst pests are rabbits and deer. For rabbits just find a place off the ground, maybe a table top? Deer, well, they are a problem! It looks fairly healthy so I don't think you need to worry about it dying. Just give it good sunshine, water and a little fertilizer (half strength to start) and it should be fine.
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The cactus soil should work OK. Some people will add sand and perlite to their mix so that should be fine. I wouldn't use the orchid mix because it's too chunky and won't retain enough moisture. Yes, outside is always best for roses. Since it's late in the season you could wait for spring to repot it. Let it go completely dormant before putting it in winter storage. An unheated, insulated garage works best, off the concrete and watered some monthly. If you don't have a garage you can sink the entire pot in the ground and mulch the plant for winter.
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rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
5 years ago
Moses’ general caution about success with gift mini roses should not deter you. Six years ago I picked up 3 at a NJ supermarket July4th special. $2 each. That Thanksgiving, I popped them into shallow holes in a neglected part of the garden amoung astilbes and coral bells.

Two were alive the following spring, and today one is alive and thriving. One of my best performers as regards foliage health and flower production. I laugh every time I see it. Receives zero care aside from pruning. About a foot tall, tops. They were grown by Aldershot greenhouses in Canada. I recollect they were Kordanas, or Poulsen related. The thriving one is dark red.
Mystical Aura thanked rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
5 years ago
If it was my rose I would repot with the right soil in to a slightly larger pot. Get it out of the warm house. If you have a garage that would work. If not, take the small pot and place it in to a larger pot and fill between the two pots with mulch or towels

Wrap the larger pot with burlap or more towels.

It is a pain but it can be done. I did it last year with two Gigis. Good luck!
Mystical Aura thanked Kristine LeGault 8a pnw

Using cacti soil for miniature rose?

Comments (4)

oldrosarian

Moses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA

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rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)

Kristine LeGault 8a pnw

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