How to Grow Roses Indoors — Like a Pro

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You’d most probably be aware of overwintering pot-grown Roses indoors or in greenhouses, but did you know you could grow your very own indoor Roses year-round?

There’s nothing dreamier than having sweet-scented, beautifully colored Roses growing in your kitchen, or even your bedroom, letting the scent of Roses sing you to sleep every night. 

Miniature Rose is the most popularly grown indoor variety. For clarity, we will be talking about it in this article. However, virtually any Rose variety can be grown indoors if the right conditions are provided.

 

How to Grow Roses Indoors?

You need a well-draining, rich in organic matter potting mix for growing Roses indoors. Place the plants in front of a South-facing window where it gets 6-8 hours of sun. Water heavily each time the top layer of soil dries up. Typical indoor temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C) are ideal.

 

Soil

To Roses indoors, choose a soil mix that is well-suited for container growing. Roses like a well-draining soil mix rich in organic matter. A neutral or slightly acidic soil pH of 6.5 is preferred. Use houseplant potting mix with added perlite or vermiculite for better soil drainage and aeration. 

Using the right kind of soil is much more critical when growing Roses in containers as compared to growing them in the ground. 

You need to care for drainage, aeration, nutrition, and water retention when choosing the best soil mix for growing Roses indoors.

Rose plants are much more susceptible to root rot, underwatering, and other soil-related problems when they are grown in containers, so extra care is recommended. 

You can use a commercially prepared houseplant potting mix as it comes with all the right ingredients. For added suitability, adding 1/3rd perlite or vermiculite will enhance soil drainage and aeration. 

You can also prepare the ideal potting soil mixture for growing Roses indoors at home. 

Make your custom potting mix by mixing 2 parts of garden soil, 2 parts of organic compost, 1 part peat, and 1 part sand or perlite. 

 

Light

Adequate light is the single most critical component of indoor Rose care. Roses require 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day to bloom well. Place the Rose plant in front of a South-facing window for best growth. If your home doesn’t get enough light, you need a grow light for indoor Roses to thrive.

Miniature Roses with smaller foliage sizes require even more sunlight as compared to other Rose varieties.

If your home gets less than 6-8 hours of sunlight a day or there aren’t as many sunny spots in your place, it’s a good option to go through different Rose varieties and opt for the most low-light tolerant one. 

Direct sunlight coming through South or East facing windows make them ideal spots for growing Roses indoors. 

Bear in mind if the plants do not get at least 6 hours of direct sun, they will not bloom as well as you’d expect them to.

However, during the hotter months of the year, direct sunlight coming through the glass windows can intensify even more by passing through the glass. 

Prolonged exposure to such intense light can scorch the leaves and blooms of your Roses. To prevent this, move the plants away from direct rays during the hottest part of the day.

As your Roses grow indoors, they will start leaning towards the source of light. Rotate the plant every few weeks, so the Roses grow in a balanced, upright manner. 

Yellow leaves on Roses might start appearing if they are not getting enough light. 

You can use grow lights to make up for the required light levels to grow Roses indoors. Choose strong artificial LED lights that mimic sunlight for best results. 

Grow lights are also beneficial to use for other houseplants if your home does not have adequate light levels for plants. 

 

Water

Roses need ample soil moisture to perform well. Watering indoor Roses is trickier than outdoors ones as it is easy to overwater houseplants. Indoor Rose plants need moderate water, water only when the top 2-3 inches of soil dry up. Water heavily, so water reaches all parts of the rootball. 

Roses, especially Miniature Roses, require ample water to bloom well. So, take special care of the watering practice to prevent your indoor Rose plants from getting over or underwatered. 

Water only when the top 2-3 inches of the soil are completely dry. This is usually the best indicator to know whether or not your indoor Roses need water and prevent overwatering.

This, of course, needs you to manually check the soil moisture every time. 

You might not want to stick your fingers in the soil every other day, so it’s better to use a soil moisture indicator tool. 

If you see the Roses need water, give them a hearty drink so that the excess water flows out of the drainage hole. It is also a good idea to use a pot tray under your Indoor Roses. 

The soil should retain moisture well, so you don’t have to water very frequently. However, if the weather is too hot and dry, you will need to notch up watering.

In the same way, reduce the watering frequency in the winter months when transpiration rates are not as high as in the summer. 

Always water Rose plants directly at the base of the plant on the soil. Prevent water from falling over the foliage, which can lead to a range of fungal diseases. 

 

Temperature

Typical indoor temperatures are ideal for growing Roses indoors. Roses thrive when daytime temperatures stay between 65-75°F (18-24°C). The nighttime temperature should not fall below the 60°F (15°C) limit. Protect your Roses from fluctuating temperature levels. 

Although the usual indoor temperatures are ideal for growing Roses indoors, indoor temperatures can sometimes fluctuate dangerously, which is harmful to the plants. 

Place the Rose plant out of places that get frequent cold drafts in the winter, sources of cool or warm wind, and places that can get too hot. 

Placing your indoor Rose plant too near the window is not a good choice, both in extreme heat and extreme cold. 

Glass windows are icy cold places during winter nights and will really make your houseplants suffer if placed too near to them. 

Use plastic or wooden pot stands to place under your Roses to keep the pot and, in turn, the rootball at a normal temperature. 

Stone or terra cotta pots in direct contact with the floor can get too cold because of their thermal conductivity. Placing an insulating stand under them will help a lot. 

 

Humidity

Indoor Roses, especially Miniature Roses, like humidity between 40-50%. Indoor humidity levels can fall too low, especially in the winters, so you will have to use a humidifier or pebble tray to make up for the required humidity. Do not mist your indoor Rose plants. 

Although humidity is not much of a significant factor when growing Roses outdoors, indoor growing is a bit different. 

Indoor Rose varieties such as Miniature Roses require medium humidity levels to thrive. Regular indoor moisture is too low and needs to be increased artificially. 

Misting your indoor Rose plants is not recommended because it can lead to fungal growth on the foliage. Better yet, make use of a pebble tray. 

 

Fertilizer

Feed your indoor Roses with diluted doses of liquid or water-soluble fertilizer from spring to later summer. Use a balanced or special fertilizer formula prepared for Roses. Fertilize mildly every 2 weeks. Pot-grown plants are susceptible to over-fertilization, so only feed in moderation. 

Regular fertilization will ensure a vigorous and healthy blooming indoor Rose plant. The frequency of fertilization depends on the growth rate of your plants. 

Fast-growing plants should be fed every two weeks. If you live in a colder climate and growth is slow, fertilize only once every four weeks.

Avoid using fertilizer formulas with high nitrogen content. Nitrogen encourages vigorous foliage growth and takes the growth concentration off the blooms.

The best fertilizers for Roses have a balance NPK ratio or are higher in Phosphorous content. Using liquid fertilizer for your houseplants is an easy way to feed them.

Water well before each feeding session to reduce the risk of root tip burn. Do not fertilize your Rose plant immediately after bringing it home from the nursery. 

 

Growth

Miniature Roses have a shrub-like growing pattern and grow into a small, compact bush. They are deciduous shrubs that can grow 1-2 ft. tall and 1-2 ft. in width. The repeat bloomers usually bloom most vigorously in late spring and summer and have blooms in a variety of colors. 

The Miniature Rose is a true Rose variety that has been bred mainly for its small size, making it the perfect indoor Rose plant. 

The flowers, foliage, and the average plant size all are less than average Rose plants. 

They are moderate to quick growers and make excellent border or edging plants when grown outdoors in gardens. 

 

Potting

When growing Roses in pots, take special care of what pot material you’re using. Although terra cotta pots are always recommended, they can get too cold in the winter if not insulated. In the same way, plastic pots will get too hot. Choose the right material, deep pot with adequate drainage. 

Drainage and adequate pot size are the first and foremost requirements for healthy Rose plants. 

When growing these plants in pots, bear in mind that they can tolerate low soil temperatures but not excessively high ones. 

Growing Roses in plastic or other heat-trapping material can increase the soil temperature drastically, killing the Rose plants instantly. 

It is better to use terra cotta, stone, or wooden pots. But terra cotta and stone are good thermal conductors and can get very cold in the winter if your floor is cold too.

Use an insulating material such as a wooden pot stand or a rag to stand your pot over the floor. 

 

Pruning

Prune your indoor Rose plants to remove any dead or damaged foliage as soon as you spot it. Prune off fading blooms to conserve the plant’s energy. You can also prune the Rose back to size when it seems to be growing out of its space. Prune only before or during the growing season.

Growing Roses indoors can sometimes get out of hand. A once-in-a-while pruning session ought to keep things under control. 

Indoor Rose plants can be pruned in early spring and early summer, and they will respond well to pruning in the form of vigorous foliage and blooms. 

Only make slant cuts when pruning your indoor roses. Making straight cuts leaves a horizontal plain surface on the tip of stems, holding droplets of water. This can eventually lead to fungal infections on the Rose plant. 

 

Indoor Rose Propagation

Take cuttings from your Miniature Rose by making slant cuts. Each cutting should be as thick as a pencil and 4-6 inches long. Insert the cuttings halfway in a moist, well-drained sandy mix and cover them with a plastic bag. They are expected to root within a month during the growing season. 

Propagating indoor Rose varieties such as Miniature Roses is a straightforward procedure.  

Take only a healthy and sturdy stem using a clean and sharp pruner. The slant cut will ensure maximum surface area on the bottom end of the cutting to absorb moisture. 

Using a rooting hormone will boost the success rate but is not entirely necessary. After covering with a plastic bag, place in a warm and shaded location. 

 

Common Problems with Indoor Grown Roses

If the right light is provided and the plants are watered well, growing Roses indoors will not present a problem.

However, pests may attack when conditions favor them. Excess dust on the leaves invites spider mites, mildew, and aphids. Low humidity levels help spider mites thrive. 

Keep the leaves clean by wiping them with a soft cloth when you see a lot of dust. 

Use a mild spray of Neem oil to rid your indoor Roses of most pests. 

 

Conclusion

Growing indoor Roses is a rewarding experience if you’re able to get things right. 

You might face a little difficulty managing everything for your indoor Roses, but trust the process and follow the care guide. 

Soon you will have colorful Rose blooms right inside your home.