Indoor Rose Guide: Can They Thrive Inside? Find Out How
Roses provide beauty to English cottage gardens and front yards alike. But can you grow these well-loved plants indoors? In this guide, I’ll cover if you can grow roses indoors and whether or not you can expect flowers.
Can Roses Bloom Indoors? Key Takeaways
As long as you provide indoor roses with the proper environment and care, they can bloom indoors. Lots of light, warm temperatures, and proper fertilization will also encourage flowering. Smaller varieties, such as miniature roses, are best suited for indoor growth.
Choosing Suitable Rose Varieties for Indoors
Miniature roses are the best type of roses to grow indoors due to their compact and manageable shape. They easily fit in containers and can liven up a room without overwhelming the space.
Some miniature rose varieties to look for include ‘Baby Boomer,’ ‘Gourmet Popcorn,’ and ‘Sweet Drift.’ For more, see our in-depth guide on rose colors and their meanings.
That said, other types of roses can grow well indoors as long as you provide them with a big enough pot and the right environment.
Ideal Indoor Growing Conditions
If you want your indoor rose plant to remain healthy—and eventually produce flowers—providing the proper environment is key. Keep these factors in mind when growing roses indoors.
Lots of Light
Gardeners’ biggest struggle when growing roses indoors is providing plants with enough light. Remember, roses require at least six hours of bright sunlight daily, but they won’t complain if they receive more.
With that in mind, you’ll want to situate your rose plant in the brightest area of your home. This may be a sunroom, near a south-facing window, or by a big glass sliding door.
If you don’t have a bright area, you should add some grow lights to boost the light your plant receives. Many lights can work well—just ensure the light contains a full spectrum like this one (Amazon link).
Warm Temperatures
Roses can withstand below-freezing temperatures outdoors but need warm temperatures to bloom. Normal household temperatures are typically fine, as long as you keep your plants away from heating and cooling vents.
Well-Draining Soil
Since your indoor rose will grow in a pot, you’ll need to select a proper potting mix.
The best mix will be well-draining and well-aerated while retaining a bit of moisture between waterings. I find that a soilless potting mix works best for most types of potted plants.
Look for a mix that has a foundation of peat moss or coco coir. Both of these products retain water but also allow for drainage. You’ll also want to look for materials that aid drainage and aeration, like perlite or pine bark fines.
Essential Care Tips
Remember these tips if you want your roses to remain healthy and flower.
Keep the Soil Moist, But Not Wet
When watering indoor roses, the goal is to keep the soil moist but not saturated. A good rule of thumb is to water your plant when the top two inches of soil are dry.
Thoroughly wet the soil when you water, and dump any water that collects in a drainage dish. Light, temperature, and humidity all impact how often you’ll need to water, but about once a week is standard.
Apply a Blooming Fertilizer Come Spring
When spring arrives, your rose plant will begin to grow rapidly and prepare to flower. During this time, plants need more nutrients, especially phosphorus and potassium.
Select a fertilizer designed for flowering plants, such as Fox Farm Bloom Booster or Down to Earth Rose & Flower Mix. Liquid and granular products can both work well, but I find that liquid products are easier to apply to potted plants.
Fertilize once or twice a month from mid-spring to late summer. You can follow product directions to determine how much fertilizer to apply.
Remove Dead Flowers
While we all wish rose flowers could last forever, the blooms will eventually fade. Removing the dead flowers will encourage your plant to produce new blooms.
Grab a pair of pruning shears and snip the stem about half an inch above a bud. This bud will form new growth, so cutting above an outward-facing bud makes sense.
Pest and Disease Considerations
Indoor roses are free from some of the pests that plague outdoor roses. That’s right, there’s no need to worry about Japanese beetles indoors!
However, these indoor plants are still susceptible to some pests and diseases.
The most common pests are sap-sucking critters such as aphids, spider mites, and thrips. While these pests are small, they can rapidly multiply and take over a plant.
If you spot even a few aphids or thrips, take action immediately. You can wipe them off with a wet soapy rag or spray them with insecticidal soap or neem oil.
And since these pests typically come indoors on new plant additions, make sure to check each plant you bring inside.
As far as diseases go, watch out for root rot. This group of fungal diseases often occurs in wet soils, which means it’s common when overzealous gardeners water their plants a bit too much.
Remember to only water your rose plant when the top few inches of soil is dry. And choose a container with drainage holes!
When and How to Consider Transplanting Outside
If you want to move your potted rose outdoors, you’re welcome to do so! However, you’ll need to wait until the right time of year.
The best time for transplanting roses is after the danger of frost has passed in the spring or about six weeks before the first predicted fall frost.
Select an area with well-draining soil and lots of sun when you transplant.
FAQs:
Can You Grow Roses Indoors?
Yes! You can grow roses indoors as long as you have a bright location with warm temperatures.
Can Roses Survive Winter Indoors?
If you want to overwinter an outdoor rose indoors, you should wait for it to go dormant, then bring it inside. Keep it in a cool area, such as a garage or basement.
Will Indoor Roses Lose Their Leaves in Winter?
Most indoor roses will enter dormancy in the winter. Therefore, plants will drop their leaves and stop growing. They will resume growth in the spring.
Can Roses Bloom Indoors? – Wrapping Up
If you plant roses indoors and provide them with lots of light, you can expect an explosion of blooms. Remember to keep the soil moist and fertilize regularly.
For more, see our in-depth guides on whether you’ll see flowers on first-year rose plants, common reasons for yellowing rose leaves when and how to fertilize roses, how to grow roses from seed, rose plant deer resistance, the best types of species roses, the best types of edible roses, the best types of native North American roses, and 5 simple methods for drying roses.