Can I grow roses in pots?

Most roses can be grown in pots, provided the pot is large enough and they are regularly watered and fed.

As a rough guide, for smaller shrubs which grow up to 90cm, use pots with a 35 to 40cm diameter.

For larger ramblers and scramblers use pots with a depth of up to 51 to 56cm.

As with planting roses into the ground the base of the stems should be just below the surface of the soil. If using a ready-made compost it would be wise to choose one that is soil based, add Roots Boost around the planting hole. Always add drainage to the bottom of the pot, shingle is fine, roses hate to have their roots standing in water. Leave enough distance from the edge of the pot to the compost to allow for watering without compost spillage, a couple of centimetres is advisable.

Every year when the rose is dormant, compost should be scraped away to a depth of a few centimetres and replaced. Then, about every three years or so the dormant rose should be removed and all the compost replaced.