Cultivation methods for potted Chinese roses
An article on practical knowledge, introducing the cultivation methods for potted Chinese roses in the field of green plant and flower planting. Please refer to the detailed introduction below.
Cultivation methods for potted Chinese roses
Many rose enthusiasts are still vague about controlling the growth habit of rose plants. It's common to end up with overly tall potted roses, especially in southern regions where, due to the lack of heavy pruning opportunities in winter, plants are constantly growing and tend to become disorganized.
In fact, no matter where you grow Chinese roses, the first priority is to ensure that the plants are healthy. Only in a healthy state can we easily achieve plant shaping adjustments. We can mainly start from the following four aspects.
1. Regularly prevent and control diseases and pests
Black spot disease and red spider mites are the two major killers for Chinese roses, especially in southern regions where the hot and dry climate makes it easy for roses to develop red spider mites, which are difficult to control. Preventing red spider mites is essential; for details, please refer to yesterday's article.
2. Maintain sufficient fertilizer and water
Chinese roses love fertilizer and require a lot of nutrients during their growing period. In southern regions, most roses grow continuously throughout the year, so the management of fertilizer and water must be thorough.
Especially for potted roses, nutrients in the potting soil easily leach out due to daily watering. It's important to use long-acting fertilizers, such as fermented organic fertilizers, controlled-release fertilizers, and magic fertilizers.
If using fermented organic fertilizers, it is recommended to use granular forms that are not easily washed away by water. Apply once a month. Controlled-release fertilizers can be used according to their effectiveness duration, for example, if a fertilizer is effective for 4 months, it can be added every 4 months.
Also, based on the watering frequency, continue to apply water-soluble fertilizers. If watered once a day, it is recommended to apply fertilizer every other day, or at least every three days. If busy and unable to fertilize frequently, agricultural compound fertilizers can be used. These have larger particles and dissolve slowly. Bury some around the edge of the pot, so that some fertilizer dissolves with each watering, which is more convenient. However, be careful not to overuse, as it can easily burn the seedlings.
Under frequent watering and heavy use of chemical fertilizers, the potting soil may easily become compacted. It is recommended to use microbial fertilizers once a month to maintain soil structure and enhance fertilizer effectiveness.
When Chinese roses are in a state of abundant fertilizer and water, their resistance to diseases and pests will be stronger. In a lush state, shaping the plant will also be simpler.
3. Proper pruning after blooming
Firstly, whether large or small plants, it's necessary to prune promptly after blooming to control the shape. The purpose of pruning is not only to promote side branch flowering but also to dwarf the plant.
For healthy Chinese roses, after blooming, you can directly cut off 1/2 of the flowering branches. If the flowering branch is longer, you can cut off 2/3, leaving 3 leaves per branch. Note that this refers to robust roses. If there are no leaves below the branch or the leaves are yellow, you cannot prune this way. Therefore, maintaining plant health is crucial.
4. Timely handling of suckers
Healthy Chinese rose plants will grow strong suckers after pruning. At this point, it's important to pinch the top when the suckers reach about 10cm in length to control their growth. If not pinched, the suckers will continue to grow, eventually towering over other branches and affecting the growth of new buds from other branches.
Pinching the top of suckers is the most important aspect of controlling the overall symmetry of the rose plant. Not only suckers, but any new shoot that grows excessively strong and clearly surpasses other branches that have sprouted at the same time also needs to be pinched. Otherwise, it will also disrupt the overall shape. Note that this applies only to shrub roses (including miniature roses).
For new Chinese rose seedlings, we can follow the above process for management and shaping. If you've been growing roses for a long time and the shape is already significantly off or there is only one dominant shoot, how should we deal with it? We will address this issue tomorrow, so please stay tuned.
The above is a comprehensive explanation of the cultivation methods for potted Chinese roses. I hope it helps you.