| If for winter you are looking for indoor roses to | | | | and another tablespoon of bone meal to keep the |
| grow, miniature roses might be your best bet. | | | | soil below the acidic pH level. |
| Some gardeners are irked by the idea of growing | | | | You can opt to place your roses beside the |
| miniature roses inside because of the obvious lack | | | | window that receives the most sunshine, but |
| of natural conditions required to grow this | | | | some days will be cloudy, others will be rainy. If |
| high-maintenance flower. But with a bit more | | | | you are serious about allowing your indoor roses |
| patience than usual, you will be rewarded with | | | | to live, you ought to use grow lights situated |
| vibrantly-colored miniature roses to brighten up | | | | about two to four inches above your plants and |
| your house even during the coldest time of the | | | | kept on for 18 hours and off for the remaining |
| year. In this article, we teach you the basics of | | | | six hours of the day. Fluorescent lights or |
| miniature rose gardening and how you can apply | | | | halogen bulbs are the best artificial lights for indoor |
| them to your own situation. | | | | roses. You also have to mimic ideal humidity |
| First of all, don’t go plucking out a miniature | | | | conditions outside, especially since an indoor |
| rose bush before you read the following. Your | | | | furnace will keep the moisture content of the air |
| roses first need time to be prepared. Before | | | | inside the house lower than usual. You can set a |
| your roses make the transition from outside to | | | | humidifier nearby, but a natural way of keeping |
| inside, allow a period of dormancy when the plants | | | | their environment humid is by setting the pots in |
| can take a rest. Dormancy occurs naturally right | | | | trays filled with stones and water. That way, |
| after the roses are exposed to the first sweep | | | | the pots are in no danger of getting wet all the |
| of hard frost in late autumn. But you can also | | | | time. Put a bit of Chlorox into the water to |
| induce dormancy by reducing the three most | | | | avoid the production of molds. |
| important elements needed by the roses to | | | | Spider mites are also a problem, but they |
| produce new growth: water, heat, and light. This | | | | aren’t impossible. In fact, it is quite easy to |
| means you should reduce watering (taking care to | | | | get rid of them, provided you keep your |
| provide only partial watering), shut the plants off | | | | miniature roses under a watchful eye. At the |
| from sunlight, stop fertilizing, and leave the foliage | | | | first sign of yellowing leaves, douse the plant in |
| on until they voluntarily fall off. This should take | | | | water with a bit of detergent soap and rinse it |
| place about three to six weeks before you plan | | | | off by spraying with water. Watering should be |
| to transfer the roses. | | | | done once a week for six weeks, taking care |
| As a challenging variety of roses to grow, | | | | that the roses receive the most amount of light |
| miniature roses will take a lot of trouble to take | | | | possible and the surrounding air is at the right |
| inside. Give them a thorough watering before | | | | humidity level. By the sixth week, a number of |
| digging them up and place them in plastic or clay | | | | buds should be flowering and you can take the |
| pots to grow. Clay pots are preferred because | | | | miniature roses to a more prominent place in your |
| they don’t allow the water to accumulate in | | | | house. |
| the soil, but they don’t let it dry out too | | | | There you have it. It isn’t so easy and so |
| quickly either. This keeps the soil in tiptop shape | | | | you might feel some frustration at the beginning. |
| for the miniature roses—moist enough to keep | | | | But it only takes a whole lot of effort before |
| the roots well-hydrated but not soggy. Speaking | | | | your home livens up with a pot of miniature |
| of soil, always use a sterile potting mix that | | | | roses. So, are you ready to take on the |
| contains half peat moss and perlite and half | | | | challenge? Happy mini-gardening! |
| garden soil. Add one tablespoon of dolomitic lime | | | | |