Potted Roses - Ask Extension
All of my rose plants suffered last year, but the potted ones had an especially hard time. I used a liquid fertilizer the first year and an organic th...
Knowledgebase
Potted Roses #820840
Asked February 21, 2023, 7:28 PM EST
All of my rose plants suffered last year, but the potted ones had an especially hard time. I used a liquid fertilizer the first year and an organic this last summer. The older leaves turned yellow and spotted and the plants looked very bare. What should I do to clean them up before the spring and give them a better shot for this summer when it starts to leaf out again? The last picture is what is used to look like!
Polk County Oregon
Expert Response
Dear Julie,
Hello again and thanks for writing to Ask Extension. Your rose appears to have some environmental damage on the leaves, probably from heat and/or drought.
I cannot determine what kind of pot the rose is in, but hopefully, it has more than just the black plastic bag to protect the roots from overheating. Potted trees and shrubs need more water than in-ground plants, and they must have excellent drainage so that excess water will not cause root rot. Use companion plants that can withstand dry periods so that you are not over-watering for their sake.
Your rose would do well with some judicious pruning in the next month or so. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches. Also, remove any very thin straggly twigs. Check whether the roots are growing out the bottom of the container which would indicate it needs repotting and either a bigger pot or a bit of root pruning. The container should be about twice as wide as the root ball.
Fertilize your rose when it begins actively growing in spring. This paper details the feeding and watering requirements:
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1624/html
Do not fertilize your rose when it is stressed during periods of high heat.
I hope this is helpful. Write again anytime.
Hello again and thanks for writing to Ask Extension. Your rose appears to have some environmental damage on the leaves, probably from heat and/or drought.
I cannot determine what kind of pot the rose is in, but hopefully, it has more than just the black plastic bag to protect the roots from overheating. Potted trees and shrubs need more water than in-ground plants, and they must have excellent drainage so that excess water will not cause root rot. Use companion plants that can withstand dry periods so that you are not over-watering for their sake.
Your rose would do well with some judicious pruning in the next month or so. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches. Also, remove any very thin straggly twigs. Check whether the roots are growing out the bottom of the container which would indicate it needs repotting and either a bigger pot or a bit of root pruning. The container should be about twice as wide as the root ball.
Fertilize your rose when it begins actively growing in spring. This paper details the feeding and watering requirements:
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1624/html
Do not fertilize your rose when it is stressed during periods of high heat.
I hope this is helpful. Write again anytime.
