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Old 06-03-2004, 04:27 AM
Marshall Dermer
 
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Default Growing Micro/Minature Roses Indoors

I'm posting this note to add to the various posts on this topic.

Last fall I purchased two micro/minature rose plants:
Pure Hit (Var. POUL del PPAF PBAF) and Parade Rose (PBRAF/PBR).

Before buying these "pot roses" (about $5 a pot), I
reviewed various USENET posts.

Here is what I discovered.

The plants do well, indoors, with 12 hrs of light. Each
plant was illuminated by one compact florescent bulb that
was producing the light that a 75-watt bulb produces.

However, I had much trouble with fungal infections. I tried
various home made treatments like spraying the plants with
aloe juice or tea tree oil but these antifungal agents
did not control the disease.

The only thing that worked was "Orthonex Insect & Disease Control
Formula III." I had bought this for outdoor roses and it is
only supposed to be used outdoors. So, I would bring the
little pot roses outdoors, spray them, and bring them back
into the house where they smelled awful for about a day.

Once the weather warms up, here in Milwaukee, these plants
will be finding permanent outdoor homes.

The plants did produce many fragrant blooms, but I did not
enjoy working with the toxic-smelling Orthonex.

In the future, I will focus on growing orchids indoors
with my new compact lights.

--Marshall Dermer