On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 12:14:53 -0500, dave weil
wrote:



Dave, shame on you! Letting them dry out completely is not the same
thing as making sure they drain continuously. NO TRAYS under potted
roses. Full sun, lots of water, no trays, and they will be fine. And I
would not keep them in the house at all, I don't care what Harry and
David's says.

I think you're confused Shiva. I don't grow miniature roses in pots. I
don't grow *any* roses in pots, ever. I was simply giving advice from
what I know about the habits of roses.

Does not follow. You said:

"Are you letting them dry out on occasion? Roses need copious amounts
of water, but, conversely, they don't like wet feet either."

Then you went on to say that Pam should not let them dry out
completely--so you mixed two really important items in a strange way.

1. They need to be moist
2. They need to drain.

I was speed reading, as usual, but the above two items are the
important things Pam needed to know, in addition to the outside thing
and the sunlight thing.



My thoughts on pots and watering comes from my experience with killing
orchids. Needless to say, I don't grow plants with little tolerance to
extremes in watering. I prefer to have a plant that has a little fudge
factor built in (when it comes to potted plants).

You are in my zone, or damned close, aren't you? . It is a piece of
cake to grow roses in pots, even in droughts. If I can do it busy as I
am, anyone can.

1. Large enough pot (20 inch, I don't do volume)
2. Attention every other day. Just a quick look, then water or don't.

I have yet to have winter kill a potted rose, though I have left lots
of mine out unprotected due to sheer negligence.

I like growing them in pots as they stay mobile. I can get to know
their growth habits a little and the look of their blooms a lot, then
decide where, if anywhere, they belong in the ground.

Putting new roses in larger pots also buys those of us with rather
weak backs or crappy hole digging skills a bit of time before we have
to get those babies in the ground. It is a whole lot easier to dig a
few 2X2 holes a month than to dig 15 in a weekend. Not to mention
"possible."

What are you doing in this weekend? I am working like a dawg, of
course. Gorgeous cool moist gardening weather, though.