Does anyone know what to do with a potted mini-rose whose leaves are drying up and falling off? My mom as managed to kill two mini roses in previous years, so I'm trying to rescue this one, but I don't know much about mini-roses.

Any suggestions?

AnneL

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2001

Answers

Did you buy it at the grocery store or at a nursery? If you got it at the grocery store, repot it as soon as you can ... those pots are always way too small. Also, they always seem to be sold with houseplants, but mini roses have to go outside. They will die indoors.

Beyond that, you pretty much treat them like any other rose. They do better in the ground than in a pot, but if the pot is at least 14" or so they'll be okay. Keep them well watered but make sure they have good drainage. They're fairly heavy feeders because they bloom a lot - so get some rose food and follow the directions.

Mini roses get all the same pests as big roses. Make sure they have plenty of air flow around them -- don't crowd them too closely with other plants if you live in a warm, humid area. Give them full sun, too. That means at least six hours a day.

The good news is that they really can't be pruned like a big rose, so you just kind of shear them off at whatever is the proper pruning time for your area.

Here is some good info on mini roses, presented in a sort of annoyingly cutesy format.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

And some more info, less cutesy this time. (This is a really good place to buy mini roses, by the way, if that's your thing.)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

Have you checked the plant for spider mites? I've lost every mini rose I've ever had to spider mites. The mites suck the life out of the leaves, making them curl up and turn brown. The telltale sign of an investation is very fine web-like structures that start to appear on the plant, and if you look very very closely, you'll see tiny white mites on the plant.

If it is spider mites, mist the plant with a soap and water solution. It's supposed to kill the mites. Although, I've never been able to save a plant yet after an infestation. I'm your classic Brown Thumb gardener.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001

What I've found with spidermites is that if the bush is otherwise very lush and healthy, the rose can probably recover. But if the rose is stressed or otherwise not very vigorous, spidermites can and will do it in. Minis in pots seem to be prime targets.

Mine don't necessarily die, but I often toss them if they get infested with rust. The ones that are more resistant are the only ones that survive in my garden.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2001