types/sizes of miniatures and water requirements

16 years ago

I'm a bit confused about minis . It seems there are the ones that are really tiny, that come in about 4" pots as in the grocery store and then there are the ones that are much larger, but still labeled minis, from the garden center.

When you do a search on growing "mini roses" they don't seem to differentiate between the two types. My question is , is that it seems the very tiny ones DON'T like water. The only success I've had with them, is to keep them dryer. If I water 2 days in a row they turn yellow and die and this is especially true of certain colors of them. Some colors seem to fare better than others. But I have never had success keeping them "moist" even with good drainage.

Then with the "larger " mini's they seem to do great with the "normal" amount of watering as with regular large roses.

I just again looked up a site for mini's and here is the quote:

"Watering: Minis like lots of water. Never allow the soil to dry out completely but also never leave them standing in water. Water the minis, especially the roots of the original plant close to the stem, every day for the first 2 weeks. Then water 2 or 3 times a week unless they receive plenty of rain. "

So I water 2 days in a row, and they die.

Can someone clarify these two types of mini's for me. As their requirements are definitely not the same.

TIA

Karen

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Comments (4)

lesdvs9
16 years ago
The watering instructions you quoted are pretty much what you do for newly planted minis in the ground. Potted minis are something different.

Are you attempting to grow them potted or in the ground minis? If you're potting them, how are you potting them and what size pot? And are you attempting to grow them inside or outside? If in a pot are they sitting in a saucer full of water?

You are correct in that minis come in several sizes, there are micro minis, minis, mini floras. They can come from a nursery in different size pots as well from a 2" pot to a 6 inch pot and like you said you might even have found them in a gal container at the garden center for a premimun price.

Color really doesn't have anything to do with how well a rose takes up water though it seems that way to you.
Leslie
diane_nj 6b/7a
16 years ago
Karen, those "tiny" ones in the grocery store will grow up to be as large (or larger, depending on the variety) as the nursery plants when planted in the garden. They are just not as mature as those that are from the garden center. The ones from the store are barely rooted cuttings, maybe rooted for only a few months, whereas the nursery minis have been growing on those roots for a year or two.

Now, when it comes to watering, are you keeping them indoors or outdoors? In either case, the soil sould be kept moist, not soaking wet and not bone dry. The root structure of the "grocery store" mini isn't as large as the potted plants from the nursery, you have to be careful when watering. So, they may initially have different watering needs, but once they are mature, the needs will be the same.

Also, with the "grocery store" plants, often there are three or more cuttings in the same pot, which means there are potentially three (or more) individual plants in that pot. This link, How to save a potted gift rose, gives great info on how to handle the "gift" or "grocery store" minis and how to prepare them for planting in the garden.
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michelle_co
16 years ago
Hi, presuming you mean outdoor minis, the watering schedule seems to also depend on soil type. I have a lot of clay in my soil - it does not dry out as fast as a sandy soil - and can water newbies every couple days (or sometimes go longer in cool weather).

That said, unless you have terrible drainage which must be fixed, or unless you are just drowning them when you water, they should tolerate a bit of overwatering. So I do believe there is a mystery as to why they are dying.

Are you fertilizing or doing something other than just planting them in well amended soil and watering???

Cheers,
Michelle
triple_b
16 years ago
Have you moved them out of the little grocery store pot?