Question
hi lynnette,

i just bought four different colors of mini roses from jewel osco and the tags identified one as kordana, one as cupido and the other two didnt come with tags.. i live in an apartment in chicago and bought them because i miss plants and wanted to add life to the house...they sit in a wide south facing window and i aerate them by opening the window for a couple of hours a day.the window gets bright but not direct sunlight. im writing because im not sure how to care for them and someone i recently asked said they wont survive longer than two weeks and i was upset to hear that.
i have no balcony in my apartment, i've been watering them once a day from above( i just read that i had to water them from the bottom and i dont know how to do that).ive been clipping off the dying roses and the yellowing leaves, one of my plants has yellowed quite a bit in the three days i've had it. i dont know what fertiliser to use or where to buy it and im not sure how to take care of them, generally.
i also wanted to know about their life span, do you think they'll survive till winter and if they do, will they survive winter indoors? and what special precautions should i take? my window sill is just a few inches in width and i dont want my plants to get frostbite.
thanks for taking the time to read my question. and thank you for all the other information you've provided me through this website. really appreciate your efforts. regards,
vaishnavy

Answer
It is always a challenge to grow roses in a house environment as the atmosphere is really far too dry for most plants. The Kordana rose is from Kordes Rose Nursery of Germany and is a good one but to keep it growing in a house, it should be planted in a larger 12 inch pot using a bagged potting type soil, to keep the roots cool as well as giving them room to grow larger. It can make a bush  about 18 inches tall and wide. The little Cupido probably will be harder to keep alive as it is tiny rose that is happier in a greenhouse. It makes frail thin leaves and tiny thin petaled blooms which dry out very quickly.
Ideally the roses should get full sun,  especially in the winter. Check with your fingers to see if the soil is dry and if it is then sit the pot in a dish of water until the soil is wet through. Then check again in a day or so to see how long it takes to dry out and that will give you an idea of when you have to water. Don't keep it wet just give it a good soak and then let it dry out. Because the main problem with roses in the home is that they dry out, placing the pot on a bed of stones or anything that the base won't get wet, give the rose the dampness it wants.
Use a liquid house plant fertilizer such as Schultz and when it is blooming or making new growth, give it fertilizer at half the strength every month. Every week wash the rose bush off with water to make sure that there are no spider mites under the leaves as this will be the main insect that attacks your roses. Place the pot in a plastic bag and tie it tight around the base of the rose bush. They put it in the sink and use the sprayer to wash the plant off.  If you see any webs then buy a spray such as Trounce which is organic, and will get rid of the mites but be warned, they will return.
In the spring, cut the roses right back to about 6 inches for the Kodana rose and 2 inches for the Cupido rose. This will activate them into new, nice healthy growth. When the weather is free from any nasty frosts, then you can place them outside in the day and bring them in during the night. Do this for a week to get them used to being outside again.
Rose plants can last for years if they are happy and in a right situation. But as you can see it is a lot of time and effort to keep these roses happy and healthy. Don't be too upset if the roses cause tou trouble or don't survive as it really is very difficult to keep roses alive in a house. If you are interested then read about growing roses until Gro lights as this can be easy (but not cheap), to keep the plants alive.