Mini Rose help?

[tyler43836]

I 'rescued' 2 mini rose plants today from a vivero near my home in Chapala (Mexico- zone 11). 14 pesos for the 2! They were so pathetic I had to take them home! Now what??? I have no experience with roses, mini or otherwise! Any suggestions to keep them alive and flourishing?

[luis_pr]

Miniature roses are simply roses that produce blooms about 1.5" long (or less), that have shallow roots and that have little or no fragrance. Other than that, they are just a tough as the big guys. Choose a location where they can get at least 4 hours of sun. The soil should be somewhat loose and acidic, topped with several inches of mulch. As soon as the soil feels almost dry or dry, you need to water them. Until you can locate a nearby plant nursery or rose society, fertilize them using a general purpose slow release chemical fertilizer like Osmocote. The nursery or rose society should be able to help you select a custom tailored fertilizer for the type of soil that you have. Watering is very important since they have a lot of fine small roots in the topmost few inches of the soil. On the other hand, you do not want the roots in water logged soil so insert a finger into the soil to a depth of 4" to see of it feels dry or almost dry. Water the soil (not the leaves) early in the mornings to prevent fungal diseases. During the worst of the summer months, you can go easy on the fertilizer as the shrubs may decide it is too hot and stop blooming or reduce the number of blooms. You can fertilize using organic meals like cottonseed meal or using weak fertilizers like liquid fish or liquid seaweed per label directions. When planting them, it would be nice to know how tall and wide they get but, if this information is not available, plant them 12 inches apart or so. I generally dig a hole that is slightly larger/deeper than the pot in which they came. I also mix the garden soil with compost or composted manure. Top it with 2" of mulch and sprinkle some rock phosphate or bone meal at the bottom of the hole. As winter approaches, go easy on the fertilizer or stop fertilizing completely and let them take a break. If your soil is alkaline, amend the soil with garden Sulphur, iron chelated liquid compounds or green sand. If your soil is caliche, consider growing them in containers.

[tyler43836]

Thanks so much for your response. Very helpful, indeed!