When and how to prune roses in pots?

Precautions to grow a rose bush in a pot

Growing a rose bush in a pot is within reach of all gardeners but it requires some precautions so it performs at its best :

• Opt for compact, small-growing rose bushes ;
• Choose a pot (with a pierced base!) of 30 cm diameter and depth for a miniature rose, 40 cm for a dwarf rose and 50 cm for a shrub rose or a small climber ;
• Use a quality potting compost, ideally potting compost for roses to ensure healthy growth and generous flowering ;
• Watering and additions of amendments (fertilisers, compost…) must be regular! A poorly nourished rose bush will be weakened and more susceptible to disease.

To find out more about planting roses in pots, please read the relevant paragraph in our advice sheet : Roses: how to plant.

Rose bushes grown in pots

When to prune a potted rose?

I recommend pruning your potted roses:

• at the end of winter, generally in February/March, for perpetual varieties, taking into account signs of renewed growth. For more information, refer to our advice sheet: When to prune roses?
• after flowering, in August, for non-perpetual varieties.

How to prune a potted rose?

Perpetual roses grown in pots are pruned severely, so as to concentrate all sap in the branches to obtain vigorous regrowth and promote flowering. For this:

• remove all dead wood and twigs that will produce nothing;
• also remove shoots growing towards the inside of the rose to give maximum air and light to the heart of the rose;
• count 3 or 4 eyes and prune at an angle 0.5 cm above an eye facing outwards on the rose.

1- Remove dead branches and frail stems ; 2- Cut each branch to 3 or 4 eyes

For non-perpetual roses, remove one third of branches, immediately after flowering.

For pruning of small climbing roses grown in pots, refer to our advice sheet: When and how to prune climbing roses. You can place your pot at the foot of a wall or a stone pillar, for example. Don’t forget to install a trellis or an obelisk when planting to guide the rose.

What to plant at the base of a potted rose?

Very spreading roses will require no companions. However, at the base of a shrub rose, a standard rose or a potted climber, you can plant some annuals such as Calibrachoas, Petunias, Diascias or even a Helichrysum petiolare ‘Silver’ that will cascade beautifully from the pot and pair perfectly with red roses.

Finally, discover our 7 planting combinations to create beautiful summer planters.

Further reading

• Discover all our tips to successfully grow climbing roses in pots.