HelpfulGardener.com

Got a mini rose plant a few months back that I'll like to grow indoors. I've read other posts saying I really should keep them outdoors but last time I brought them out they got aphids....

It's still in the original mini pot it came in. There's three plants there and I've read I should transplant them to a bigger pot - perhaps 4in but I've never tried taking care of a plant successfully.

Originally the plant had several buds and blooms of various states but they all basically wilted just below the stem, it turned black. None of the buds bloomed. I've tried pruning it but might have done it wrong on one of the plants since there's too much leaves on that, some are yellow and no new buds.

On two of the other plants, miraculously I've two long stems that I noticed about a week apart. One is now in full bloom I think and other is just starting to open up. When do I prune the plant and how much should I cut off? It looked so symmetrical originally....

Now I've read I should fertilize but I don't understand how. I've seem miracle gro, jones, lilly m. that looks like I just leave on or water. But I don't know which to use and how to use it to not burn the plant and it seemed those should be used when transplanting. Few months back I did buy the purple african violet pump spray which I've used occasionally since the ratio was right 0.5/1/0.5.

Mini roses does have some black flies, fungas gnat, at moment which I don't know if I should worry about or not. I guess I might have overwatered now when I've underwatered before. Daily seemed to have not worked too well, same with weekly....

What type of mini roses are these?

One full bloom has some brown patches in the middle of the petal, not the edges, why is that? When do I know to prune it?

Thanks!

You may be confused by terminology. Miniature Rose refers to the small size of the leaves and blooms - not the plant size. A miniature rose can easily grow to 24" to 36" tall. They are not indoor plants. Transplant your rose to a much larger pot. 12" to 14" with good drainage. No pot saucer. Water it well and gradually move it from the house to a full sun location outside.

I have grown miniature roses in pots and in the ground. I pruned then harshly in February and late August. They bloomed at least ten months out of the year.

God luck

Roses are heavy feeders and won't bloom in the shade so they will do better outdoors for most of the year. You need to take them out gradually if they have been inside a while. The best time to do this is in the cooler months. Actually that is the best time for most plants. It is hard to harden off a plant in the heat of summer.
One tablespoon of miracle grow in a gallon of water every two weeks. Use the one that says miracle grow for acid loving plants. It was formerly calle miracid. For a small plant you won't need a gallon so you can mix up a smaller amount. Alternatively you can give the plant rose food that comes in a granular form. Follow the package directions. It is important to make sure when you water the rose to take it outside and flush the water through the pot thoroughly or you can get salt build up in the pot.

Roses bloom on new wood so after they bloom they should be cut back, to promote new growth. I cut back to a thicker stem with 5 leaves on the stem. Once a year, it should be cut back to the strongest canes.

If you keep a rose in a pot make sure the soil drains very well. Roses like to dry out a little between watering. Make sure you use a good quality potting soil. Do not get garden soil, it was not made for pots. Add more drainage, perlite if you need it to make sure the pot drains quickly. I use MG potting soil (not moisture control).

As for the bug and disease problems. Welcome to the world of roses! They are hard to grow organically. You will need to get used to having to check and control pests. Controlling aphids means controlling ants. Put out ant bait. You can use insecticidal soap on the leaves in summer especially the undersides to control aphids. When the weather get wet and humid, you will need to fungicide weekly before you have a problem. Beetles will also eath the leaves. Depending on the beetle you would need to use something else. You can use systemic insecticides like Systemic Rose Care, but it is very bad for the bees.

I agree it's not easy to take care of miniature roses indoors. Light is a very significant issue, even if you have an unobstructed south facing window, you probably wouldn't leave it uncovered (window treatments) during the hot summer months. Another problem is humidity. For me, red spider mites and scale insects were the biggest problem. And I can tell you aphids can still get to indoor plants if you have ants getting into the house because they bring the pests.

Looking at your photos, the plant in the first photo is way too big for the pot it's in. Because roses is are woody shrub, they are way less forgiving about being overwatered or being dried out. You really need well draining soil/potting mix and sufficiently large container that will give you a buffer and margin of error.

Most of the mini roses in small pots sold in readily available locations are meant to be gift plants that are not particularly expected to survive beyond the blooms they are displaying at time of purchase. Consequently, they tend to be weak and easily catch fungal diseases or infested by pests. If you really want to grow miniature roses, it's probably better to get them from a reputable independent garden center or by mail order sources specializing in roses.