Miniature roses form a wonderful addition to any garden, either in containers or as marvellous borders to your flower gardens, around pools or as accents in rockeries. They are relatively hardy and somewhat easier to maintain than their larger shrub rose cousins and they provide just as much colour. They can also make good indoor plants, provided you place them where they will receive plenty of sunlight.

Caring for Indoor Mini Roses

Miniature roses can make great indoor plants, but they need plenty of sunlight. So if you have a sunny spot in your house that gets at least six hours of sun a day, then this is the spot to place your mini. If you are planning to get a miniature rose for indoor planting, then it’s probably best to get a �micro-mini� variety which only grows to about 5 inches in height. The normal varieties of miniature rose can be quite large for indoors, despite their name.
The plants need a solid weekly watering and the correct size pot that is neither too small nor too large for the plant. A too small pot will cramp the plant and not allow the roots to grow, whilst a pot that is too large will also not encourage root growth.

Caring for Outdoor Mini Roses

As with their indoor friends, Miniature Roses outdoors need to be planted in a sunny spot and not under large shady trees. You can plant these roses directly into the ground or you can also use outdoor containers.
When planting your mini, either in a container or directly into the ground, your hole should be wide enough and deep enough to easily accommodate the roots of the plant. Once you’ve placed the rose into the hole, refill it with soil so that the rose is now level. Water the plant thoroughly and maintain a regular weekly watering schedule.

For container plants this may have to be increased to a daily routine, depending on the weather in your area. It’s important not to let your miniature rose dry out, they have smaller, shallower root systems than conventional roses and can’t take being left to dry out � it may kill them. Mini roses in containers may also need some extra food and a weekly feeding of dilute liquid rose fertilizer should keep them happy.

Pruning Your Miniature Roses

As with larger rose varieties, pruning is a necessary step to ensure that your plant provides you with the beautiful blooms you desire. Removing any dead flowers is the first step to pruning and should be done continuously as the plant flowers � this will encourage more blooms to be produced.
Don’t let any long canes develop and keep the plant shaped as it grows. At the end of winter, just before the next growing season, do some more aggressive pruning and remove about one third of the thinner canes � opening up the centre of the plant to increase air circulation. This will simulate new growth and lots of new flowers.

I hope you enjoy your wonderful miniature roses!