ailing mini in indoor pot

17 years ago

Folks:

I admit it: I bought a healthy-looking miniature rose on impulse, at a big box store, because I liked it and the "knowledgeable" staff said they're easy to grow. Three weeks later, I have a very sad rose on my hands.

I repotted the plant (hybrid, cultivar unknown, red blossoms) in a larger pot with what I thought would be quick-draining mix -- half and half miracle gro potting soil and perlite with a dash of vermiculite.

The result: Branches, leaves, and buds drying out, getting crispy, losing viability. It looks like overwatering might on some plants -- though I know nothing about roses. And my moisture meter says it's pretty wet in the middle depth of the pot.

Maybe it's because I potted in a non-porous, glazed pot? Maybe moving it to a clay pot would help?

Maybe I should be worried about root rot and should be repotting to trim those? (Again, I don't know how roses take root trim.)

Maybe the miracle gro potting medium has too much fertilizer? I haven't used additional fertilizer and have been misting the rose but not watering.

So: Having read many posts without finding any directly applicable answers, I throw myself on your mercy: What would you do to save this thing? I feel like I'm probably losing this round of buds as it is, though some of them seem on the cusp of being viable, but I would like to keep the plant alive and (ideally) healthy.

Please let me know what y'all think.

Many thanks,

Dan

Comments (5)

michelle_co
17 years ago
First thought - is the pot quite big? If it's a deep pot and the water is running through too fast, it may be that there is no water staying in the roots of the rose. That could cause it to dry up. Can you post a photo? It sounds more like it's drying up than getting too wet.

Did I read you right that you have NOT been watering it??? I water my indoor potted roses daily. They like moist light soil and should not be standing in any water.

Cheers,
Michelle
diane_nj 6b/7a
17 years ago
"pretty wet" means TOO wet. And does your pot have drainage holes? The water needs to drain out of the pot. I would follow the instructions in How to save a potted gift rose, and also see the info on growing these indoors (they really, really, really are outdoor plants) in Do mini roses need much water?.
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elemental_fool
17 years ago
Hi, I'm experiencing some of the same problems with a miniature rose that I purchased on a whim (okay, my fiance purchased it on a whim the week of Valentine's Day). Anyways, I suspect that I let it get too dry, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking some other problem. We potted it up into a larger, terra cotta pot, and it perked up for a bit, but now it's looking slightly wilted again. Is there anything else I should be doing? How often should I water it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Here's a photo.

Here is a link that might be useful:
janw
17 years ago
they grow so well outdoors.
diane_nj 6b/7a
17 years ago
Roses can go through what is called "transplant shock" when moved from pot to pot or pot to ground or ground to ground. They usually settle in within a week or two. The soil should be moist, not dry and not soaking wet. Remove any water that may be left standing in the saucer after you water the plant. Also, stick your finger down into the soil near the roots to make sure that the water is getting to the roots, and not just around the perimeter of the pot. Not knowing the conditions inside of your house, I can't tell you how often to water, you'll have to check the soil.