Growing Miniature Roses Indoors

These dainty little roses are almost replicas of floribundas and hybrid teas, with both foliage and blossoms being proportionately smaller. Miniature roses can be grown either indoors or outdoors in containers or window boxes. Six to eight inch pots are usually sufficient if grown as single specimens.

Miniatures also offer many different varieties and colors, including: Coral Sprite, Millie Walters, Pierrine (pink); Little Artist, Minnie Pearl, Party Girl (blends of colors); My Sunshine, Rise n Shine (yellow), and Snowbride (white).

Miniature roses are averse to root disturbance and are thus often purchased in pots and allowed to grow indoors as

houseplants for a year, then transferred outside to the garden. There's nothing wrong with continuing to keep them indoors as houseplants, but you may find that miniature roses grown indoors are prone to infestation by spider mites and whiteflies, as well as being quite finicky about sunlight and humidity.

If you want to grow miniature roses indoors, these tips may be helpful:

• Put the miniature rose plant in your sunniest window. Even then it may need additional sunlight to avoid "leggy" foliage. Unlike so many houseplants that have an extraordinary tolerance of low light and humidity, roses need plenty of bright light, such as in a bright west- or south-facing window. But for repeat bloom, you'll need the supplementary light provided by fluorescent tubes. If light is insufficient, the plants' stems will stretch, leaving longer spaces between leaves, a common problem called etiolation.
• Rinse and spray your miniature roses weekly to minimize the risk of attacking pests. Clean the tops and the undersides of the leaves, and spray with an insecticide to get rid of spider mites and white flies.
• Keep the miniature roses in moist, humid conditions. Under no circumstances let them dry out entirely. In winter, the air in most houses becomes abysmally dry. A water-filled tray with a layer of pebbles (to ease evaporation) is usually sufficient. Again, the plants will tell you if humidity is low; leaves will shrivel, yellow, and drop. Often spider mites will make themselves at home.
• Harden off your mini-roses before transplanting them outside.

In the garden, a significant advantage of mini roses compared to their larger brethren is easy care. Most are grown on their own roots and therefore tend to be hardier and easier to prune than larger, grafted roses. Pruning minis is as simple as shearing the tops of the plants with a hedge trimmer. The best time to prune is in early summer after spring flowers fade, and again in late fall after fall flowers fade.