I began growing miniature roses around 1985. At that time minis were considered “petite” so just about any variety would comfortably grow in a 2-gallon container. Some of the popular varieties of the day were Starina, Acey Deucy, Party Girl, Rainbow’s End, Cupcake, Pinstripe, Snow Bride, and Julie Ann. These bushes were small and compact, with petite-sized blooms and a root system to match.

The original containers I used for my mini roses were small wooden slatted pots that measured about 10 inches wide by 6 inches tall. These pots were quite ample for the varieties I grew at the time since the roses looked healthy and happy in their homes. At that time I used just plain old garden soil to fill the pots because I didn’t know any better. I soon discovered that wooden pots weren’t good because they dry out and the bottoms rot quickly.

By 1987 I had collected over 50 miniature rose plants. I noticed that some of the varieties grew somewhat bigger and had a hard time fitting in those small 10” x 6” wooden pots. Varieties such as Magic Carrousel, Sweet Chariot, and Black Jade didn’t seem to fit. They not only grew taller than my other miniature varieties, but they became rootbound in the pots. At that time I began moving some of my larger minis to a bigger container size, in particular a plastic terra-cotta pot that measured 14 inches wide and 10 inches tall (7 gallons). I filled them with a good quality potting soil blended with Gromulch and a dash of superphosphate and water holding soil polymer. The new homes for these larger minis made the roses very happy and they rewarded me with terrific growth and profuse blooms.

In the ‘90s some of the varieties I grew were Heartbreaker, Kristin, and Fairhope. They grew somewhat bigger than the petite minis of the mid-80’s but most were still quite happy and comfortable in their 14” x 10” containers. Irresistible, Jean Kenneally, and Pucker Up were three exceptions that seemed to scream for wide open spaces, so I rewarded them by giving them their own space in the ground.

Fast forward to 2004. I now have about 150 miniature rose bushes. Most are still grown in the 14” x 10” plastic terra-cotta containers that have served me well for the past 15 years. These pots are very affordable at $2.00 each and they are much better looking than a plain old black plastic pot. They are very long-lasting, too, since I’ve never had to replace one. They have held up well to my weather conditions ranging from 28 degrees in the winter to 117 degrees in the summer.

But, this year I noticed something had changed. Most of the varieties that I now grow are not the same varieties that I grew back in 1990. The miniature roses were not only a bit bigger than the petite varieties of 1985, but the miniature varieties of the new millennium seem to have evolved into even more robust and buxom bushes. Miniature varieties such as Arcanum, Miss Flippins, Bee’s Knees, This is the Day, Breath of Spring, and Jilly Jewel are quite hefty with thick canes nearly as thick as floribundas and hybrid teas. Although the blooms are not too much bigger than those of 1985, it is the bush size that has evolved considerably. I noticed that some of the new varieties have literally outgrown their pots, even the newest 2-year old plants. The bushes became rootbound and were unable to hold water for more than a day. It finally dawned on me that some varieties would need to be moved up to a larger container size.

Fortunately, a friend of mine was moving to a new home where her hundreds of potted plants would all be planted into the ground of her new rose garden. She needed to recycle all those used pots, so I quickly snapped them up. Although she had various pot sizes she was giving away free, one size in particular seemed to be perfect for my larger than life miniature roses. My friend gave me thirty 16” wide by 14” high plastic terra cotta pots. Just what my big minis needed. These pots proved to be 60% bigger than the pots my minis were currently growing in. I did buy several additional new ones, but at $8.00 each I could quickly go broke if I were to replace all my minis with this larger pot. So we only repotted the larger sized minis of which I grow at least three plants each: Miss Flippins, Bee’s Knees, Erin Alonso, Dancing Flame, Marie Jeannette, Arcanum, Breath of Spring and Jilly Jewel. Fairhope, Behold, Kristin, and Glowing Amber are still quite content in their 14” x 10” containers so they will remain there for now.

Many of the larger mini plants were between 2 years to 5 years old so most had become rootbound and it took some effort to remove them from the old pots. We carefully removed them and trimmed off some of the old roots before replacing them into their new larger homes. Additional fresh potting soil blended with Gromulch was added to the bottom and sides of the larger pots, along with a small handful of superphosphate, fish meal, and soil polymer below the rootball. Then the pots were placed back into their garden locations and watered well.

These oversized miniatures seem to be much happier and thriving in their bigger growing spaces.

Originally published in the September 2004 issue of “Rose Ecstasy,” bulletin of the Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society, Kitty Belendez, Editor. Copyright 2004, Kitty Belendez. All rights reserved.