Pros and Cons of Growing Roses in Containers

Growing roses in containers can be the perfect option for many rose lovers, but consider the pros and cons before deciding if it is right for you.

Pros of Growing Roses in Containers

Roses are a colorful, fragrant and stylish addition to any container garden.

Growing roses in containers is relatively easy and wholly satisfying.

There are numerous varieties and colors of roses that will thrive in containers.

Growing roses in containers may be ideal if you don't have the space for a rose garden. For example, if you live in an apartment or town house with no or limited garden space, you can create a rose garden in containers to beautify your patio or deck.

If the soil where you live is poor or if you have rodent problems, you may have better luck planting roses in containers than in the garden since you will be able to provide them with a protected environment tailored to their needs.

Since roses in containers are easy to move, if one is not doing well where it is, you can easily move it to a new location.

If you move, you can take roses in containers with you.

You can protect roses grown in containers from damage from severe weather by moving them inside or to a sheltered location when necessary.

Roses grown in containers make wonderful gifts.

Miniature roses can be grown in hanging containers, an option that is not available for garden roses.

Growing roses in containers can be ideal for those with physical limitations that make working in the garden difficult or impossible.

Cons of Growing Roses in Containers

Although in theory any rose can be grown in a container, from a practical standpoint larger roses are not a good choice for container gardening. Therefore, your selection of roses to plant in containers is more limited. The best choices are miniature roses, patio roses (also called miniature shrub roses) and some tree roses.

While roses are easy to grow in containers, they can take a little more time and attention that garden roses. You will still have to do everything that you do for garden roses for container roses, including dead heading them, pruning them, feeding them and protecting them from insects and disease. In addition, you will have to water them more often than roses in the garden, since containers dry out more quickly than the ground, and to feed them more often, since they can more quickly deplete the nutrients in their soil.

Roses grown in containers have to be repotted periodically as they outgrow their containers.

Roses grown in containers may have to be transplanted into the garden after several years.

Sources:

Neil Moran, www.gardenguides.com, Romancing Roses in Containers/Garden Guides

Kitty Belendez, scvrs.homestead.com, Growing Roses in Containers

www.ehow.com, How to Grow Roses in Containers/eHow.com