Believe it or not, miniature roses do not need much maintenance at all but there are a few things that you can do to ensure that your roses will continue to flourish throughout the years.
Roses like mulch and it is highly recommended that you maintain a 3 inch layer of garden compost at the root zone. The purpose of having organic mulch is to keep the soil in good health, retain moisture and nutrients, and improve aeration as well as drainage which are all very important for the survival and growth of your roses.
You should apply new mulch annually around the base of the plant. Make sure the soil is moist but not water clogged or frozen. Do not apply mulch to dry soil as it can reduce the amount of natural rainfall that reaches the roots.
Weeding is another important thing that you need to do during the growing season. When hoeing, take care that you do not damage the fine feeder roots that are close to the soil surface. It is better to weed by hand as it is safer and weeds can be easily pulled from the loose surface mulch.
Miniature roses have a huge appetite and it needs a lot of nutrients (in the right proportion of course) to produce beautiful flowers repeatedly throughout summer. If you want your roses to thrive, you need to feed them with rose fertilizers which are high in potash.
The proper way to apply fertilizer to your miniature roses is to add it to the base of the plant then tickle it in with a hand fork. You can also give your roses some extra fertilizers in the form of liquid feed or foliar spray for every 3 weeks. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the proper rate of fertilizer application though.
You need to watch out for pest and disease too. Aphids are very evil and they like to attack young shoot tips which can cause serious damage to your roses. Fungal disease can also happen if you do not keep your garden clean. To reduce fungal spores, you should burn all the fallen leaves and prunings instead of using them as compost. Be sure to spray some fungicide on your roses if they are affected with fungal disease.
