rose bush care: follow these steps o do it carefully

Roses are among the most popular flowers in society. Giving them away is a tradition, but it is also very common to have rose bushes planted at home, in pots or on the ground, simply because you like them and bought them. Those people who do not have a large garden at home or a balcony with a lot of space must know among the different types of rose bushes, which is the ideal one to plant in small places or pots.

The pitimini rose, also known as a potted mini rose, is the most suitable for these circumstances, although if you are going to have the pot on a terrace and near a wall, you can plant a potted climbing rose. They require a series of care to grow and flourish and, in this sense, watering, fertilizing, pruning and transplanting the rose bush are aspects that you should watch out for. To discover how to care for a rose bush in a pot, read below.

Rose bush care: how to plant a rose bush in a pot step by step

To learn how to care for a mini rose bush in a pot, you must know how to plant it to have it in the most suitable spot. Follow these steps to plant a potted rose bush correctly:

1. Choose a rose bush labeled with the denomination of the pitiminí variety or mini rose bush. In this way, you can ensure that it is a good variety to have in a small or medium pot and find information on the care it needs.
2. Ensure the stems are thick and covered in wax so they won’t dry out when you cut them. Thanks to the wax, the buds will sprout after germinating.
3. Place pieces of shingles or volcanic-type stones or expanded clay in the bottom of the pot so it can drain easily. Subsequently, fill the pot with soil.
4. The pot and the substrate for a rose bush are factors to take care of. The pot should be about 35 cm deep and, as for the substrate, add guano fertilizer, which is a natural compound that favors the plant’s growth.
5. Remove the soil and put the root ball in the center of the pot, taking care when placing the roots, so they do not break. Then distribute the soil, cover all the roots well and press so that the root ball is supported.
6. In about a month, the rose bush will begin to bloom as long as you correctly take care of it.

How to fertilize a potted rose bush?

Compost also influences the way you care for potted rose bushes. It needs to be fertilized more frequently than the outdoor rose bushes planted in the ground because the irrigations carry more nutrients and the plant may suffer more deficiencies in this regard. You have two options to fertilize a potted rose bush:

• Opt for the specific fertilizer, applying it with its instructions, which you will see on the container, once a month or according to the frequency indicated by the product on its label.
• Use worm humus or guano, which are highly recommended for rose bushes. This option is the most ecological.
• When you detect that the rose leaves lose their green color or acquire a yellowish tone, you will be suffering from iron chlorosis. To treat it, add an iron supplement to the soil or compost.

How to prune a potted rose bush?

The best time of year to prune a potted rose bush is the month of March, that is, once the coldest stage has passed. Maintaining constant care of the plant by removing the stems, flowers and dry leaves, the pruning process will be much easier. Learn how to prune a potted rose bush by following these steps:

• Cut the weakest shoots and those that are dead to have a healthy rose bush, something that must also be done when periodic transplants are to be made and if you want to reproduce the rose bush since you will have to cut a healthy rose cutting for its reproduction.
• Also, cut the rest of the very long shoots, leaving an approximate measure of 4 to 7 buds.
• Select a couple of main shoots, usually more central, to make them longer.
• With this pruning, the rose bush will remain strong, healthy and capable of reproducing. This way, you can cope well with the next growing and flowering season.

How to transplant a potted rose bush?

To transplant the potted rose bush, it is unnecessary to change the container if you do not see that it has become too small. It will be enough to renew the land in periods of two or three years. It provides two-thirds of the new nutrient-enriched substrate so that the rosebush grows healthy and strong.

However, if you see that the pot is already just right, it will be convenient to move it to a larger pot, adding new and nutrient-enriched substrate. Take the opportunity to prune any roots that you see in poor condition or very old.

The most common pests of rose bushes

To finish learning how to care for a potted rose bush, you must know the most common pests that put it in danger. The following are the most common pests of potted rose bushes:

• Aphids: Aphids are the main pest of rose bushes. They are very small insects, 3 mm in size and green in color. They damage the new shoots and the larvae generate harmful galleries in the leaves. Here we tell you more about how to eliminate aphids from rose bushes.
• Red spider: it is a mite with 8 red legs, although it can also be black or white depending on the species. The spider mite absorbs the sap from the rose bush and, when there is a large population on the plant, it generates thick silks.
• Powdery mildew: these are fungi that create white spots on stems, fruits and leaves, generating a kind of gray powder similar to ash. Powdery mildew ends up drying the leaves and causing them to fall, appearing at very high temperatures and in high humidity environments.
• Rust: they are also fungi that develop with high humidity and cause yellow or orange spots. They appear with mild temperatures after periods of very heavy rains and weaken the leaves by drying them.
• Marssonina: is a fungus that produces black spots on the leaves of rose bushes. It spreads with irrigation or rain by splashing drops of water, so it is convenient to take care of the type of irrigation used.
• To eliminate the plague of aphids, it is enough to have ladybugs in the garden, as there will be a normal biological control as they are predators of these plant parasites. At the same time, the infusion of garlic is an effective home remedy against spider mites. Regarding fungi, spraying the affected parts on the rose bush with a mixture of milk and water will be very useful to eradicate them.