Rose people, I need your help!

[hjsullivan]

Hello there!

So about a year and a half, maybe two years ago, I rescued this mini rose plant from my sister. She brought it over to me (I have a big vegetable garden and some house plants) in hopes that I might revive it. I cut it way back except for one branch (if you will) that was still green. The thing took off. It grew so much so fast and bloomed a couple little roses again. Then some of it died off and I cut it back back and it grew again. It was much slower the second time though and only yield one rose.

I'm trying to figure out what kind of a rose bush this is and how I can better take care of it. I know nothing about roses. Right now it's in a medium sized ceramic pot w/ a drainage hole. It's potted in regular MiracleGro soil and is currently indoors. It was out most of the summer, but didn't really do much (until I brought it inside lol).

I have attached a photo of the beautiful flower it has now. Any help you can provide would be great appreciated!

Many thanks!
h

 

[ducks4you]

Mini roses are really tough. I don't bother to cut back the white/pink one that I planted 10 years ago, which sometimes has to compete with a clematis and the black raspberries, which are destined to be removed and burned.
Right now don't move it and keep it watered.
I suggest that you plant it in a sunny bed next spring. Also, Miracle Gro is synthetic fertilizer and has a limited fertilization lifespan. You would do better to plant it in soil mixed with compost. I put fresh horse manure directly around my roses in the spring/summer and they love it, since they love acidic soil.
Remember to ONLY prune a rose outside in the Spring to cutoff dieback. If you prune in the Fall, a MA winter WILL kill it.

 

[hjsullivan]

Right now don't move it and keep it watered.
I suggest that you plant it in a sunny bed next spring. Also, Miracle Gro is synthetic fertilizer and has a limited fertilization lifespan. You would do better to plant it in soil mixed with compost. I put fresh horse manure directly around my roses in the spring/summer and they love it, since they love acidic soil.
Remember to ONLY prune a rose outside in the Spring to cutoff dieback. If you prune in the Fall, a MA winter WILL kill it.

Wow! Thanks!!
This is all great information .

Right now it's in a medium-sized ceramic pot in my living room, which a is nice and sunny area. So what you're saying is, once this flower dies off, DO NOT trim it back until the spring? And ONLY once it is in the ground? Would it be worth it to just not cut it back this spring? Let it go through the process of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Then cut it back the following spring?

I'm new to roses. I'm shocked I was even able to save this one lol. Oh, one more thing. My mom wants me to plant it next to an existing rose bush. But it's a really big, established bush. I feel like it should get it's own space?

Thanks again!
h

 

[ducks4you]

I think that I would let it establish itself in the ground for a month or so, and then prune to shape only. Then do NOT prune again until the next Spring and only after the last frost of the Spring and prune an inch or so beyond the dead wood. ALL roses grown in the north will get some dieback, but it is important to have enough "wick", live wood, to keep them alive and thriving. You can tell the difference bc live wood is bendable and dead rose wood snaps off. Some people mistakenly cut their roses almost to the ground in the Fall, and that will kill them.
I absolutely LOVE my yellow knockout rose, which has explosive growth, no care, and is SOOO perfumic. Not all of the knockout roses have that great rose smell, but they are, perhaps, the easiest full sized roses to grow.
Be tentative with tea roses. They are fussy.
ALSO, IMPORTANT!!! since you live in zone 3?, I think, be sure to look at the label. I almost bought a white rose at a local WM that was zoned for zone 10!!!! Honestly?!?!? We are maybe zone 6, but realistically zone 5b.
The ones that go for $5.00 at the local stores probably won't make it planted directly, but, since you are good with houseplants you could start one of those in a pot, bring it indoors for it's first winter, and then plant it in the ground the next year after a good year of TLC so that it has some good roots. I planted a lavender tea rose in my DD's bed after 3 years of living in a pot, bringing indoors in the winter, and outside on the east side of the house. Doing well. I also planted a red rose for my DD, "Drop Dead (F)Red" (our name for it) and it had a really good root system in the pot. We'll see if it makes it through the winter. That first winter is the real test.

 

[Nyboy]

After a member posted that they usually get 3 plants from one pot, I checked out the minis in my local supermarket. Sure enough I could see several plants in the 1 pot. That summer I must have purchased about 15 pots. Only one made it though a very mild winter

 

[ducks4you]

It's all about the root system. Check to see how deep you get a hard freeze during the winter. Your rose needs roots to go beyond that. THAT is why those cheapo roses don't make it. They never grow enough roots to survive the winter. Honestly the little mini rose is 13yo now, right next to the garage. I never mulch it, or even think much about it, yet it thrives.
Heavily mulch your roses their first winter.

 

[thistlebloom]

I have a red supermarket mini rose in the ground that blooms it's head off every summer. It's probably 5ish years old.

 

[so lucky]

I think those mini gift roses are not grown or sold with much hope that they will live beyond their current bloom period. They are bought as spur of the moment gifts, and usually the recipient doesn't bother to try to keep it growing. (kinda like a poinsettia or Easter lily) So when a gardener gets one and tries to keep it, it's a whole new ballgame.
But, they are hardy little critters, as others have said.
Indoors, make sure you don't over water or allow spider mites to take over.
I doubt if they are root grafted, don't you all? So any growth from the root ball should be OK to allow to grow. (I will check on this, and if I find out differently, will post)

(Several sources say they are not root grafted, per Google)

 

[Nyboy]

Lucky I think your right. The supermarket ones are not meant to be around long

 

[seedcorn]

Wife found some, so told her to buy me one. If there are several plants, would I be better served to separate so each can build a better root system? We had a red mini that I had to move, never made it though the winter.