Detailed Guide to Growing Potted Chinese Roses and Points to Note
The Chinese rose is called the king of flowers, also known as “monthly red,” in the Rosaceae family. It is an evergreen or semi-evergreen low shrub that blooms in all four seasons, mostly red, or pink, occasionally white; it can be used as an ornamental plant and as a medicinal plant, and is also called Chinese rose. Its natural blooming period is from May to November, with large, fragrant flowers, widely used in horticultural cultivation and cut flowers. The main types of Chinese rose include cut-flower roses, edible roses, climbing roses, ground-cover roses, and so on.
Growth Habits
It has strong adaptability, is not tolerant of severe cold or high temperatures, and is drought-tolerant. It is not strict about soil requirements, but the best is a slightly acidic sandy loam rich in organic matter with good drainage. Keep the potting soil loose, the pot diameter appropriate, and moisture moderate; apply light fertilizer frequently, remove flowers and prune branches, prevent and control pests and diseases, and repot every year. It likes sunlight, but too much strong direct light is unfavorable to flower bud development, and petals easily scorch. It likes warmth; generally a temperature of 22-25°C is the most suitable for flower growth. High summer temperatures are unfavorable for blooming.
It needs sufficient sunshine, air circulation, and a well-drained, wind-sheltered environment, with appropriate shading in midsummer. For most varieties, the optimum temperature is 15-26°C during the day and 10-15°C at night. It is relatively cold-tolerant, and enters dormancy when the winter temperature drops below 5°C. If high summer temperatures persist above 30°C, most varieties bloom less, quality declines, and they enter a semi-dormant state.
Generally, varieties can withstand low temperatures of -15°C. It requires fertile, loose, slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter, but its range of soil adaptation is fairly wide. The relative air humidity should preferably be 75%-80%, though slightly drier or slightly more humid is also acceptable. It has the characteristic of continuous blooming. Air circulation must be maintained with no pollution; poor ventilation easily leads to powdery mildew, and harmful gases in the air, such as sulfur dioxide, chlorine, and fluorides, are all toxic to Chinese roses.
Propagation Techniques
Mostly cutting propagation is used, and division and layering propagation are also possible. Cuttings can be taken in all four seasons, but hardwood cuttings in winter or autumn are preferable; for softwood cuttings in summer, attention must be paid to water management and temperature control. Otherwise, rooting is difficult. Winter cuttings are generally done in a greenhouse or plastic tunnel; if cuttings are taken in the open field, measures to increase moisture retention must be taken. Propagation by sowing is used for sexual hybrid breeding. For a few famous varieties that are difficult to root, grafting propagation is used, with wild rose as the preferred rootstock. For example, yellow-series varieties.
Management Methods
Transplanting of Chinese roses is carried out between November and March of the following year. Pruning can be done at the same time as transplanting: first cut out dense branches and dead branches, then cut out old and weak branches, leaving 2-3 outward-growing buds so the plant spreads in all directions; appropriately shorten particularly strong branches to strengthen the growth of weak branches. In summer, when new branches grow too densely, thin them out. After each flush of flowers fades, promptly cut off the upper part of the branch connected to the spent flower so it does not set seed and consume nutrients, and retain the plump middle and lower branches to encourage early new growth and another round of blooming. Chinese roses like a heavy application of base fertilizer before blooming and a top dressing of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer after blooming to strengthen the plant and promote flowers. Chinese roses have strict water requirements and must not be too wet or too dry; too dry causes wilting, too wet damages roots and causes leaf drop.
1. Blooming Period Control
Chinese rose is also known as “monthly red,” with a natural blooming period from May to November, blooming continuously. However, controlling the blooming period of Chinese roses during the Olympics is still very important, especially for potted Chinese roses and cut-flower Chinese roses, the blooming period must be well controlled to fully complete the temporary flower display tasks at various venues and gymnasiums during the Olympics and the fresh cut flower supply tasks.
In actual work, analyze specific situations individually. For field-grown Chinese roses, according to their geographical location, while ensuring continuous blooming, let them bloom more and bloom well from August 8 to 24. The following methods are for reference: around June 20, prune all spent flowers and part of the already fully bloomed flowering branches of field-grown Chinese roses by 50%, cutting to the round bud position at the mature part of the middle of the flowering branch; their blooming ornamental period is about August 1 to 15; around June 30, prune all spent flowers and all flowering branches after full bloom by the above method; their blooming ornamental period is about August 10 to 25; after June 30, prune spent flowers at any time to let them bloom naturally. For potted Chinese roses and cut-flower Chinese roses, calculate the date of flower use well, and about 45 days before flower use, carry out comprehensive branch pruning.
Fertilizer and Water Management In the above pruning situations, combine with plant growth vigor to carry out scientific fertilizer and water management. After the plant is pruned, when the new generation of buds does not sprout, spray 0.2% urea on the leaves once every 5 or 6 days to promote new bud sprouting; if the plant grows quickly and new branches grow rapidly, exceeding the planned range, controlling water supply can delay growth. During water control, take the point at which the branches and leaves wilt and then promptly spraying water restores them within 1 hour as the critical limit. Water is the carrier of various enzymes in the plant body. If water supply is insufficient, enzyme activity decreases, metabolism slows, and thus plant growth slows. If new branches bud later than planned, at this time spray 0.2% monopotassium phosphate on the leaves once every 5 or 6 days, and the flower buds will grow rapidly. The blooming period of Chinese roses consumes a large amount of water and internal nutrients, so water supply must be sufficient.
2. Blooming Conditions
① Sunshine must be long. The place where Chinese roses are planted must be both ventilated and able to receive more than half a day of sunshine. This is the primary condition for them to bloom abundantly. If placed in a half-shaded, half-sunny spot or a shady spot with insufficient light, they can bloom at most only twice a year, in spring and autumn. Therefore, households whose living conditions cannot meet the light requirements are best not growing Chinese roses and instead growing relatively shade-loving flowers and plants.
② Prune often. Although the sunshine conditions may be good, if they are not pruned for a long time, Chinese roses will not grow well either. The pruning method is: after December each year, when the Chinese rose leaves fall, carry out one pruning, leaving branches about 15 cm high, with the pruning point about 1 cm above an outward-extending leaf bud, and at the same time remove side branches, diseased branches, and concentric branches. After May, each time a flush of flowers finishes, cut off 2/3 or 1/2 of the branch that has bloomed, so there will be more opportunities for regenerative flower buds. If you want larger blooms, you can also remove part of the buds when there are many, which both concentrates nutrients and achieves the purpose of extending the blooming period and opening in batches.
③ Apply fertilizer frequently and promptly. Generally, for newly planted or transplanted potted Chinese roses, loose loess rich in humus can be used for cultivation; it is best mixed with 1/4 rice husk ash or a little broad bean shell, bean cake, or chicken and pigeon manure, so that the Chinese rose can continuously absorb various nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from the soil. For old potted Chinese roses that need repotting, base fertilizer can also be applied as above; for those not being repotted, you can scrape open 2-3 cm of the soil surface and tuck in some fresh fish intestines or chicken and pigeon manure, bean cake crumbs, etc. as base fertilizer. This is best done in January to February when the Chinese rose is dormant. In this way, the fertilizer will gradually ferment into fertilizer liquid and seep into the roots with rain or watering, achieving better results. After May is the peak growth season for Chinese roses. Every 10 days, apply a top dressing once; you can use fully fermented fish juice or vegetable leaf juice mixed in a ratio of 3 parts fertilizer to 7 parts water, and stop fertilizing in November. If you can do as required above, you can make the fresh flowers of Chinese roses meet you every month. Chinese roses are by nature averse to heat; they grow best at 20-25°C; above 30°C growth becomes difficult. If you handle fertilization well, you can overcome their weakness of fearing high summer temperatures.
④ Repotting. Chinese roses do not necessarily need repotting or soil changing every year; if it is moving from a small pot to a large pot, it can be done in any of the four seasons.
Early Spring Management
In early spring, the roots of Chinese roses begin to spread in the soil. At this time, the most important care task is pruning. In warm regions, do it in late February; in colder northern regions, pruning should be carried out in March to April. Pruning generally means cutting off about 1/3 of the plant height, first removing weak branches, diseased branches, and dead branches. The new branches the plant produced in 2011 have the strongest vitality; choose 2-3 such main branches, at most 5, and according to the plant's original growth condition, generally at about 50 cm above the ground, prune 1 cm above a sturdy bud with pruning shears. A so-called sturdy bud is an un-sprouted, plump, already swollen bud. In order not to let buds grow into overly dense branches, choose and retain sturdy buds on the outer upper side of the plant. In addition, pruning should be done at the plump part of the branch. When pruning with shears, a “click” sound indicates the plump part. If the cut feels soft, cut further down to a hard place. The aged part at the branching node of the plant is rough and protrudes with swelling, with no sturdy buds at all in between, so it should also be cut off.
The middle part of 2-3 year old main branches is where new buds emerge most, so when pruning, leave only 10-20 cm. Generally, if you want more blooms in the flowering period, prune lightly. If you want the flowers in the flowering period to be good and do not seek many flowers, prune heavily. In addition, for plants with poor growth, you should resolve to prune heavily, because such plants have poorly developed root systems; if the crown is too large, it easily causes insufficient nutrient supply. At the same time as pruning, it is best to do one high-concentration disinfection, which has a significant effect on preventing pests and diseases.
To make the pruned branches lean outward, they can be fixed with supports (wooden sticks, etc.), making the tree shape balanced and graceful and avoiding branches and leaves rubbing against each other on windy days. The branches sent out from the buds at the lower part of the leaning branch are sturdier and the flowers are also more abundant, so attention should be paid to protecting them.
After Awakening of Insects, insects awaken from hibernation one after another and begin activity. At this time, dissolve 10 mL of fenitrothion (insecticide) and 20 g of wettable sulfur powder used for treating powdery mildew in 10 L of water, and spray the plant with the fully dissolved concentrated solution. Because Chinese roses have not yet grown leaves at this time, there is no need to worry about phytotoxicity.
About 20 days after pruning, the buds begin to sprout. Among them, weak and small buds are often naturally eliminated during the sprouting process. If you want the flowers to bloom well, keep buds according to the thickness of the main branch: leave 3-4 buds on thick branches, leave 1-2 buds on pencil-thick branches, and remove all the rest. In cold regions, sprouting is later, so bud removal can be postponed.
If base fertilizer was applied in December, no top dressing is needed in early spring; when sprouting begins, scatter an appropriate amount of chemical fertilizer around the roots to promote budding. After the buds sprout, on sunny days if the soil surface is dry, water in the morning or before noon so as not to let the surface freeze.
Over-summer Management
Once the peak blooming period of potted Chinese roses has passed, they enter the hot and humid summer and are mostly in a dormant or semi-dormant state. Strengthening the management of potted Chinese roses in summer and carrying out rejuvenation care can break the dormant period and keep them blooming continuously throughout the summer. The main management measures are:
1. Shading and ventilation. Potted Chinese roses have limited soil, and in hot weather they easily become hot and dry out completely, so the Chinese roses must be shaded and cooled. It is best from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to place the potted flowers in a ventilated spot under courtyard trees or a trellis, so the potted flowers receive scattered light, creating suitable environmental conditions for the growth and blooming of Chinese roses.
2. More fertilizer and water. Chinese roses bloom many times and need sufficient nutrients and water to ensure vigorous growth. Entering summer, their evaporation and consumption are both large and growth is rapid. During the blooming period, apply a light top dressing once every 10 days; you can also soak bean cake or poultry manure in water and, after sealed fermentation, mix with water as a top dressing, so the plant has abundant flowers and lush leaves, breaking the summer dormant state of Chinese roses. For watering, it is best to use sun-warmed water to reduce the temperature difference between the potting soil and the water; using too-cold water will stimulate the root system and affect the plant's normal development.
3. Spray water more. In summer, besides appropriate shading, more water should be sprayed; it is best to spray once in the morning and once in the afternoon to create a humid environment and promote the growth of flowers and leaves.
4. Thinning branches and pruning. After Chinese roses bloom, they should be cut below the third compound leaf under the flower to promote strong new branches and early budding and blooming. Weak short branches are pruned first and pruned high; sturdy branches are pruned later and pruned short, to promote the weak and suppress the strong, so they bloom uniformly. The pruning length of long branches should not exceed one half, to avoid delayed axillary bud sprouting. In addition, each flush should not retain too many flowers; for potted Chinese roses, 3-5 flowers are appropriate. Retaining too many flowers disperses nutrients too much, making flowers small and affecting the next flush of flowers.
5. Loosen soil and weed. Along with clearing weeds on the pot surface, a fine wire rake can be used to gently break the surface layer around the flower pot, enhancing the looseness and aeration of the potting soil and promoting the normal growth of the root system.
6. Prevent and control pests and diseases. The site where flower pots are placed should be frequently sprayed for sterilization with 15% limewater or carbendazim or potassium permanganate aqueous solution. July to August, the rainy season with high temperatures, is a high-incidence period for leaf spot disease and powdery mildew; spray with 0.3-0.5 degree Baume lime-sulfur mixture once a week, 2-3 times in total. In June to July, if longhorn beetle larvae are found causing damage, the branch tips should be cut off immediately. If other leaf-eating pests are found, immediately spray 800-times monocrotophos pesticide for control, which can kill eggs and larvae.
Chinese Rose Cultivation Chinese Rose Potted Cultivation Notes
When living space is limited, many people also grow some green plants indoors to enhance indoor ornamental value. Chinese roses are a potted plant that many flower lovers like to grow; they can produce very bright flowers and are very beautiful when grown indoors. So, how do you grow Chinese roses?
Chinese Rose Cultivation
Potted Chinese roses generally have growth characteristics such as liking shade but avoiding shade, liking moisture but avoiding waterlogging, and liking fertilizer but avoiding raw fertilizer. Therefore, caring for potted Chinese roses according to the characteristics favorable to their growth is the foundation. Liking shade but avoiding shade: although Chinese roses are flowers accustomed to sufficient sunlight, due to the particularity of potted Chinese roses, prolonged exposure to strong sun may cause withered branches, especially on high-rise balconies, so appropriate shading is needed, but they cannot be completely kept in a cool place. Liking moisture but avoiding waterlogging: keeping the soil slightly moist helps plant growth, but do not water heavily just to retain moisture, as that can cause waterlogging and death. Liking fertilizer but avoiding raw fertilizer: Chinese roses are fertilizer-loving flowers, but be sure not to apply large amounts of raw fertilizer (that is, organic fertilizer that has not been decomposed).
Notes on Potted Chinese Rose Cultivation
1. Choose a suitable flower pot. The size of the flower pot for growing Chinese roses should match the size of the plant. The flower pot must not be too small. When the plant grows until the roots and stems fill the pot, repot promptly to meet the needs of continued root and stem development.
2. Maintain sufficient sunshine and air circulation. Chinese roses like sunlight, but need to avoid too-strong direct sunlight; when the summer noon sun is too strong, some shading must be given. If Chinese roses are placed indoors, open doors and windows to maintain air circulation; poor ventilation easily triggers powdery mildew.
3. Prune branches and leaves promptly. After the flowers fade, promptly cut off the upper part of the branch connected to the spent flower to promote early new branches and another bloom. If branches with particularly strong growth are found, appropriately shorten them to avoid consuming too many nutrients and affecting the growth of other branches. In summer, when growth is too dense, appropriate pruning should also be done.
4. Apply more fertilizer during the blooming period. Because Chinese roses bloom many times, they also need relatively more fertilizer, so during the blooming period from May to October, fertilize once every ten days. In winter, fertilize less or even stop fertilizing.
5. Water more during the growth period. During the growth period, the plant consumes more water; in addition, summer weather is hot and water evaporates quickly, so water once each morning and evening to keep water sufficient. If it rains, appropriately reduce watering. But potted Chinese roses need special attention: do not let water accumulate.
6. Prevent pests and diseases promptly. The main pests and diseases of Chinese roses include black spot, powdery mildew, leaf blight, scarab beetles, and slug moths. For pests and diseases, prevention should be primary; in hot, humid, rainy seasons, regularly spray fungicides, and during the winter dormant period, spray appropriately depending on the situation.
Most Chinese roses grown indoors are grown in pots, and the notes and methods are completely different from open-field cultivation; potted Chinese roses cannot be treated in the same way as open-field cultivation. A reminder that potted Chinese roses are relatively delicate and need careful care.
How to Grow Chinese Roses Chinese Rose Growing Methods and Notes
Chinese roses bloom in all four seasons, with bright and diverse colors, and are called the queen of flowers. They are a very common home ornamental plant. Below, we introduce the growing methods for Chinese roses and the notes on growing Chinese roses.
Chinese Rose Growing Methods
1. Temperature:
Chinese roses are flowers that like warmth, fear heat, and have good cold tolerance, so when growing them, the temperature should be controlled at 16-25 degrees during the day and 11-16 degrees at night, which is relatively better.
2. Light:
Chinese roses need sufficient light, and both air and drainage must be unobstructed. A wind-sheltered environment should also be chosen. Chinese roses can be shaded, but they cannot be placed in a dark, damp place, as they easily wither.
3. Soil moisture:
Chinese roses like moisture, so the moisture of the soil and air should be maintained every day, best controlled at 70%-80%. The soil should remain fertile, should be loosened frequently, and should have good drainage performance.
4. Watering and fertilizing:
May is the peak season for Chinese roses. The watering principle is not to water if not dry, and to water thoroughly when watering. The fertilizer ratio should be 3 parts fertilizer to 7 parts water, with fertilizing about once every 10 days. Fermented meat water juice can be used. Fertilizing can stop in November.
5. Pruning branches and leaves:
Chinese roses generally begin pruning spent flowers and withered leaves in mid-to-late May, which can concentrate nutrients to let new buds sprout. Do not prune too heavily. When pruning, cut about a fingernail's length above the new bud, which is beneficial for growth.
6. Propagation and cultivation:
Chinese roses have very strong vitality. If you want to grow another plant, cut a branch of the Chinese rose about 10-15 cm, then insert it into a small flower pot or nutrient pot. First place it in a place with a temperature of about 20 degrees and weak light to grow in shade for several days. After it roots and sprouts, transplant it into a large flower pot.
7. Weeding and loosening soil:
Weeds on the surface of the Chinese rose flower pot can be scraped off with a fine wire rake on the surface, clearing the weeds and at the same time loosening the soil, so the root system of the Chinese rose grows relatively quickly.
8. Pest and disease prevention:
For ordinary pest and disease control of Chinese roses, spray with 15% limewater diluted with water, or sterilizing liquid, etc. Chinese roses are prone to disease in July to August each year; during this period, strengthen prevention and control, check and control promptly every week, and spray chemicals 2-3 times per week for prevention. Diseased branches and leaves found should be cut off promptly.
Notes on Chinese Rose Cultivation
Choose a suitable flower pot. The size of the flower pot for growing Chinese roses should match the size of the plant. The flower pot must not be too small. When the plant grows until the roots and stems fill the pot, repot promptly to meet the needs of continued root and stem development.
Maintain sufficient sunshine and air circulation. Chinese roses like sunlight, but need to avoid too-strong direct sunlight; when the summer noon sun is too strong, some shading must be given. If Chinese roses are placed indoors, open doors and windows to maintain air circulation; poor ventilation easily triggers powdery mildew.
Prune branches and leaves promptly. After the flowers fade, promptly cut off the upper part of the branch connected to the spent flower to promote early new branches and another bloom. If branches with particularly strong growth are found, appropriately shorten them to avoid consuming too many nutrients and affecting the growth of other branches. In summer, when growth is too dense, appropriate pruning should also be done.
Apply more fertilizer during the blooming period. Because Chinese roses bloom many times, they also need relatively more fertilizer, so during the blooming period from May to October, fertilize once every ten days. In winter, fertilize less or even stop fertilizing.
Water more during the growth period. During the growth period, the plant consumes more water; in addition, summer weather is hot and water evaporates quickly, so water once each morning and evening to keep water sufficient. If it rains, appropriately reduce watering. But potted Chinese roses need special attention: do not let water accumulate.
Prevent pests and diseases promptly. The main pests and diseases of Chinese roses include black spot, powdery mildew, leaf blight, scarab beetles, and slug moths. For pests and diseases, prevention should be primary; in hot, humid, rainy seasons, regularly spray fungicides, and during the winter dormant period, spray appropriately depending on the situation.