Miniature roses-new to growing roses
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 5:13 pm
I got a miniature red rose plant for my birthday (6 April) and within 6 weeks I had to put it into a larger pot-it's actually 4 plants. I tried to separate them so that I could have one or two plants per pot-but near the greenery the roots seemed just too wrapped up-I was afraid to get too brutal. I got another bloom of about 4 roses, deadheaded those, and then got another growth period, and needed to put them into a bigger pot again! I suspected there was a problem because the soil would feel dry (even pushing under a couple of inches) but I was getting a lot of yellow leaves coming off as if there was too much water. When I de-potted (is that a term? Well, it is now! ) I found that indeed the roots were wound around at the bottom of the pot. Once again I found it impossible to separate the plants. They seemed to like their new home, though there was a strange period where I pruned off a lot of the leaves at the bottom and then some leaves fell off some stems and it kind of looked like something drawn by Seuss (which I call Seussian) with a bunch of little leaves sprouting from the tops of bare stems.
Now I have a TON of new leaves sprouting. Sometimes, though, after they start to really come in, they look kind of wrinkly and emaciated. I mean I have masses of new leaves and shoots, but I have very few full grown leaves, and the ones that I do have tend to get brown at the tips or kind of hang down in a rather dispirited manner. I really feel that the plants are overcrowded and need some room. Questions:
a) Am I just being too fussy over my very first roses? After all, I do have 2 buds ripening, and lots and lots of new leaves and shoots coming in. I have a little blackspot, but not to worry about-I think It's due to spraying the leaves-at least that's when it showed up. It was an experiment. I took photos but I am having problems downloading them to my machine, unfortunately. I am just not happy with the way the plants look. It's almost an intuitive thing. They are not even close to dropping dead, but they are not super smiley either.
b) Assuming this feeling that the plants are overcrowded is not nonsense, how do I go about separating the plants? Am I just being too delicate and gentle? What about putting the de-potted plants in a basin of water to get the maximum amount of soil off before the surgery? Is it really that big of a deal if some root systems get damaged or cut? These are going to have to be "contained," I have no manner of yard to put them in, but re-potting in bigger and bigger containers is of only marginal help if the plants themselves are so close together, right??? That's my logic anyway. They do live outside on a very sturdy ledge that gets a few hours of direct sunlight a day.
Help me please- I'm a total newbie when it comes to roses or any other flowering plants!!
Ghetto Gardener
Sunset Zone 17/USDA 10b/ The Tenderloin, San Francisco
Now I have a TON of new leaves sprouting. Sometimes, though, after they start to really come in, they look kind of wrinkly and emaciated. I mean I have masses of new leaves and shoots, but I have very few full grown leaves, and the ones that I do have tend to get brown at the tips or kind of hang down in a rather dispirited manner. I really feel that the plants are overcrowded and need some room. Questions:
a) Am I just being too fussy over my very first roses? After all, I do have 2 buds ripening, and lots and lots of new leaves and shoots coming in. I have a little blackspot, but not to worry about-I think It's due to spraying the leaves-at least that's when it showed up. It was an experiment. I took photos but I am having problems downloading them to my machine, unfortunately. I am just not happy with the way the plants look. It's almost an intuitive thing. They are not even close to dropping dead, but they are not super smiley either.
b) Assuming this feeling that the plants are overcrowded is not nonsense, how do I go about separating the plants? Am I just being too delicate and gentle? What about putting the de-potted plants in a basin of water to get the maximum amount of soil off before the surgery? Is it really that big of a deal if some root systems get damaged or cut? These are going to have to be "contained," I have no manner of yard to put them in, but re-potting in bigger and bigger containers is of only marginal help if the plants themselves are so close together, right??? That's my logic anyway. They do live outside on a very sturdy ledge that gets a few hours of direct sunlight a day.
Help me please- I'm a total newbie when it comes to roses or any other flowering plants!!
Ghetto Gardener
Sunset Zone 17/USDA 10b/ The Tenderloin, San Francisco