Roses are a perennial favourite with the gardeners and onlookers alike. There is hardly any other species of flowers available with such varied shades and types. The public enthusiasm for roses initiates growers to experiment with different available varieties, finding new ones, their growing process, and location for growth.
One of the popular methods is growing the flowers indoors. It is not difficult and through relevant knowledge, it is possible to fill up your house with these fragrant blossoms. Very few people know that roses can be indoor houseplants too. It all depends on how you are growing roses.
Here are the various steps involved in growing roses as indoor houseplants.
The very first step for growing roses as indoor houseplants is the planting process. A four to eight inch pot containing drainage holes is ideal. Plant roses in the layer of peat soil inside the pot. This soil variety is ideal since it does not retain water for long. Place the rose pot on a tray with pebbles and fill this with water. Evaporating water from the tray provides enough moisture for the plant to survive.
Based on the water retaining capacity of the soil in the pot you may need to water it daily or on alternate days. Once blooming stops, keeping it dry for some time in between watering does not hurt. Fertilization mainly consists of water-soluble varieties on a monthly basis. This keeps your indoor houseplant healthy and facilitates the growing of roses.
Six to eight hours of at-a-stretch sunlight coming from your south facing window, is optimum for your potted plant provided there is enough ventilation in the area as well. Moderate heat is what roses require in order to thrive beautifully. If sunlight is a problem, you can compensate this using a fluorescent lights overhead. You need to keep the lights in the ‘on' mode for most of the time. Protect your indoor houseplant from cold winds and keep it warm and safe for happy blossoming.
Settling of dust on the leaves of your potted plant on a regular basis makes it an ideal breeding ground for mildew, aphids, and spider mites. Spraying soap water solution twice every week can prevent this effectively. Keep a soft cloth with you for wiping off the leaves from time to time. After all, for both humans and roses, too much dust is suffocating!
Everybody needs some rest from time to time and so do the roses growing as indoor houseplants. Once blossoming occurs in summer, keep your potted plant sheltered outside for two months. Prune off the top three inches, repot soil after this, and bring it indoors once again.
As indoor houseplants, rose grow very well. All you have to do is follow the right procedure. Share your experience of growing roses with us.