Describing a person as a potted plant is not a compliment. It usually means they are a bit boring, someone who does not count for anything or someone who can be safely ignored.

Roses potted in containers, on the other hand, can be a different story. Grown well, these roses can be a highlight and focal point of a garden.

Small space: You don’t have a garden, but you do have a sunny deck, patio or balcony.

You are out of garden space: A container becomes the only feasible option when you are unable to pinpoint any roses to exit from your garden and you are equally unable to say no to a new “must-have” rose.

Second chance: Some ailing roses deserve a second chance and may do better transplanted in a pot.

Trial period: When you are weighing whether you love the rose enough to give it a more permanent home in the ground.

Evaluation: The late Bob Martin, the immediate past president of the American Rose Society, often advocated starting a bare-root rose in a container. He saw this as an opportunity to:

• See if the rose is suited to your microclimate.

• Determine how tall the rose will grow.

• Evaluate whether the color will be harmonious with its neighbors.

• Learn where in the garden the rose might do best before committing it to the ground.

• Allow the rose to get established without competition for nutrients and shading by its larger neighbors.

• Encourage root development in the lighter soil-less mix of potting soil, and, in Martin’s own words,

• “You might also learn it is simply a crummy rose … and it becomes a much easier matter to send it to a place it deserves.”

Poor-draining soil and the “bathtub” effect: Rose roots need oxygen to breathe. Good drainage is essential and not always possible in some poor-draining clay soils.

Soil challenges: Some rosarians experience rose replant disease in their gardens. This is when new roses may do poorly when planted in a spot where roses have grown before. A rose planted in a container has the advantage of not having to deal with soil problems while becoming established.

Protection: Containers are a good way to avoid gopher problems, and also the best way to avoid competition for sun, water and nutrients from nearby trees and tree roots.

Tending is easier: It is easier for growers with back or knee issues to tend to roses grown in containers.

Mobility: Roses planted in containers can be moved center stage when they are in bloom, and just as easily moved out of view when they are not looking their best. A container rose is easier to give away if its performance was better in your imagination than it turns out to be in real life. In this situation, no digging is required.

Pruning: A container rose is pruned at the same time and manner as roses grown in the ground.

Water: A primary concern with growing a rose in a container is how and how much to water it. An automatic drip system for regular watering is best. You need easy access to a hose, as container roses need to be hand-watered periodically, and sometimes even daily when it is especially hot or windy. To determine whether your rose is receiving enough water, stick your finger in the soil. If the soil feels dry under the surface, the plant needs to be watered.

Protect the roots: Don’t place a saucer under the container, as this is tantamount to allowing your rose to sit in a bathtub and risks rotting the plant’s roots.

Soil: Container roses should be planted in a lightweight, well drained, soil-less potting mix. There are many good brands sold at the nursery. My favorite is Happy Frog Potting Soil from Fox Farm with earthworm castings, bat guano and aged forest products included. Do not use soil or compost in the planting medium. Mulch the top of your containers just as you do for roses grown in the ground to conserve water.

Type of container: The container does make a difference. Unglazed terra-cotta pots are porous and offer good air circulation, but roses planted in these pots do need to be watered more often. Black plastic pots are not attractive, but they are lightweight, inexpensive and retain moisture. In summer, a black plastic pot does have the disadvantage of absorbing too much heat, so consider slipping it into a more decorative pot. Wood containers and whiskey barrels work well but can be pricey, and they do deteriorate over time and dry out too fast. Glazed terra-cotta pots can add to the beauty of your patio or garden and are long lasting, but they can be heavy. You must ensure that whatever pot you choose has adequate drainage, which is key to growing healthy roses.

Maneuverability: The lighter the container, the easier it is to move. Placing pots on casters makes moving easy, increases airflow and assists water drainage.

Size of container: The size of the pot will vary with the size of the rose. Roses are deep-rooted plants, so ensure that the depth of your container provides adequate room for the roots. Start miniature roses in small 1- to 2-gallon containers, regular size roses in 5-gallon pots and very large roses in a 7-gallon container. A mature shrub or hybrid tea may need a 25-gallon pot. Roses that get really big, such as the larger David Austins and other very large shrub roses, are probably not a good choice for containers. On the other hand, if you need to keep a rose smaller, you can control its size in a pot.

Repotting: Upgrade to a larger size pot and refresh the potting mix as needed, usually every 3 to 5 years. You will know your rose needs to be repotted if it looks sickly, has roots growing out of the drainage holes, its bloom production declines or the pot deteriorates. Avoid repotting in the heat of summer.

Transplanting into the ground: Container roses can be planted in the ground at any time of year, but ensure that your rose has an intact root ball before attempting to remove it from the pot.

Fertilizing: Fertilize container roses with the same products and on the same schedule as your other roses, but use less fertilizer. Read the product label for the amount to use for a container plant. Always ensure that your rose is well watered before and after fertilizing, otherwise you run the risk of burning the roots or even killing the plant. Slow-release fertilizers such as Osmocote can be used very successfully with container roses.

In my garden, I find that most of my roses grow better when planted in the ground. Growing container roses is not complicated, and they can be that bit of magic your garden needs. But they do need a gardener who is watchful and observant. It doesn’t take a giant leap to go from fabulous container rose to dull and uninteresting potted plant.

Perwich is a member of the San Diego Rose Society, a Consulting Rosarian and a Master Gardener with UC Cooperative Extension.

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