What You Need

• pot
• rose
• water
• spade
• bone meal
• potting soil
• stones
• water crystals and fertiliser
• mulch

Choose a pot that will suit the size of the rose you’d like to plant. According to Marie Favard of Ludwig’s Roses, miniatures grow well in 30cm-diameter pots, while medium roses such as hybrid teas need 35cm pots and large shrubs or climbers need 43/45cm pots. Half wine barrels work very well for climbers.
NOTE The size of the pot is directly proportional to the amount of stones, soil, water-holding capacity and root space required by the rose.

In The Mix
To achieve the ideal soil mixture for a rose, add a handful of bone meal to a good coarse-structured potting soil, available at nurseries. For the ultimate soil mixture, add 25g of Stockosorb to your mix or two teaspoons of water crystals.

Water crystals and Stockosorb both increase the water-holding capacity of soils and potting mixes on a long-term basis and it’s a good idea to use them during the summer months as the heat could dehydrate your roses; they’re available at most nurseries.
REMEMBER Rose roots are very fine and require soft soil to grow; they won’t thrive in overly-compact soil.

Words and image: Home magazine