Growing Roses in Containers
Roses are one of the most beautiful and beloved flowers you can grow. Their wide range of colours and flower forms and their fragrance have endeared them to generations of gardeners. But in today’s modern world with our ever denser cities and suburbs, we have less space in which to garden. People with small spaces such as small gardens or balconies often wonder if they can grow roses in containers. The short answer is yes. But there are various secrets of success.
Here are the various considerations for planting and growing a rose in a container:
1) Selecting the right size rose. While all roses can be grown in containers, planting the correct-sized rose will save you from repotting down the line. We recommend you select small to medium-sized rose bushes for container growing. The largest shrubs we recommend are ones that reach 4.5 feet high x 4 feet wide at maturity – anything larger will do best in ground unless you’re planting in a really large pot! There are also roses that have been specially bred for containers that are small size but big on flowers like the Veranda and Sunblaze series. Also, many of Brad Jalbert’s introductions have compact habits, great disease resistance, and stunning flowers making them excellent for containers.
2) Choosing the right size pot. The minimum size pot for container growing is 17 inches high and wide, though larger is always better, even for a small to medium-sized rose. For the larger shrubs, a larger container will be needed. A pot the size of a half wine barrel would be ideal allowing the roots ample space to spread. The container will also need to have adequate drainage through holes in the bottom to prevent root rot.
3) Soil requirements. Since the rose will be grown in a container versus the ground, proper soil porosity is essential to allow water to drain through the medium and air pockets to form since roots also need to breathe. To ensure proper drainage, it’s critical that the soil used for planting is chunky and not overly dense. We like to use Sea Soil Container Complete mixed with about 30% perlite and coarse bark.
4) Watering and fertilizing.  Roses grown in containers will need to be watered more frequently than in ground. During the hot summer months, it is not unusual to water daily or even twice a day during a heat wave. As such, roses grown in containers will also need to be fertilized more frequently as the frequent watering will flush fertilizers out of the soil more quickly. We recommend fertilizing with 14-14-16 Perennial and Shrub slow release in spring when the foliage first begins to emerge and again at the beginning of summer. This four month slow release will provide a good baseline of macro and micronutrients through the growing season to encourage the first flush of flowers in June and subsequent bloom through the summer and fall. For even more flower power, you can apply a water soluble fertilizer with a high middle number once every week to two weeks during the flower season.
5) Winterizing. The rule of thumb is that any plant grown in a container loses a zone of hardiness. The same goes for roses. If the rose is rated for zone 5 and is now grown in a container, it is now treated as a zone 6 plant. For rosarians living in colder climates, we strongly recommend insulating the container to prevent winter damage to the roots. You can place a sheet of styrofoam under the pot and wrap the pot with bubble wrap. You could also wrap the canes with thick burlap which will reduce desiccation from cold winds. Winter damaged canes or canes with brown tips can be trimmed away in the spring.
While any rose could be grown in a container if the container is big enough, here are some beautiful roses that are particularly great for container growing:
The Kordes Veranda roses are a compact series designed specifically for containers. Clockwise from top left: Veranda Cream, Veranda Mango, Veranda White, and Veranda Lavender.
 These compact David Austin roses grow well in large containers. Clockwise from top left: Darcey Bussell, Harlow Carr, Olivia Rose Austin, and Princess Alexandra of Kent.
These compact David Austin roses also grow well in large containers. Clockwise from top left: Princess Anne, Roald Dahl, The Poet’s Wife, and Vanessa Bell.
Give Your Perennial Garden a Phoenix Perennials Touch.
At Phoenix Perennials, our offerings span over 5000 different plants available for in-person shopping at our garden centre and plant nursery in Richmond, British Columbia. Additionally, we annually offer more than 2500 different plants for mail-order shipping across Canada. Stay connected with our diverse offerings by signing up for our E-Newsletter and Alerts – your key to staying informed about our mail order and pre-order launches. Happy gardening!
