How to Grow Climbing Roses in Pots

Select a pot for the rose. Even with miniature roses, choose a container that is at least 10 inches wide. If the container doesn’t have drainage holes, drill several in the bottom. Clean the pot.

Make a potting mix of equal parts potting soil, peat moss, mulch and garden soil. Pour this mixture into the cleaned pot, until it is 1/2 full. Set the rose--still in its nursery container--on top of the prepared container to check placement. Once the rose is planted, the bud union--where the rose canes meet the roots--will need to be no more than 2 inches from the top of the prepared pot. Add extra soil if needed to adjust the height.

Invert the miniature climbing rose to slide it from its nursery container. Turn it upright and place it in the center of the soil in the prepared pot. Pour more potting mix around the rose’s roots, up to the bud union. Press the soil down gently around the rose to remove air pockets.

Move the pot to a location where it will receive six hours of sunlight daily. Water the soil thoroughly, until water comes out the drainage holes. If there is not something nearby for the rose to climb, insert a small trellis into the soil behind the rose.

Keep the soil moist for the first several weeks, until new red leaves appear. At that point, if the climbing rose doesn’t receive 1 inch of rainfall a week, water deeply.

Apply plant food formulated for container flowers. Follow the directions on the package for the frequency and amount for feeding the rose.

Care for the growing rose. Deadhead as the flowers fade. Support the canes as they grow. Use lightweight twine to secure the canes of the climbing rose to its trellis. Remove any leaves that have black spot and treat the rest of the plant with fungicide. Miniature roses are affected by the same pests as their larger counterparts; pick by hand or treat with pesticide.