Q.How difficult is it for a nongardener to grow hybrid tea roses in containers?
We recently sold our home and moved into a condo in Bellingham, WA. We are about 100 feet away from saltwater and roughly 100 feet above it. We bought a pair of 28 inch high containers and intend to grow hybrid tea roses in them. At present, the balcony on which we intend to grow them reaches temperatures in the high 20s at night and reaches the mid 50’s during the daytime. It faces southwest and is covered.
Does our wish sound realistic? What do we need to know to “fill” our home with roses?
Can someone who has never cooked make a delicious dinner? It depends on many factors. To grow hybrid tea roses you will become a gardener. The internet is full of information including videos on rose care. Wisdom is gained through experience and deeper learning. Your plant selection is crucial. In your favor is that breeders have come up with disease resistant varieties that preserve the gorgeous flowers. This makes caring for them easier. Hybrid tea roses like 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. If you don't have that much, there are more shade tolerant varieties if you have a minimum of 4 hours of sun. They also need good air circulation so don't sneak in other plants or pack the roses into a corner. One rose per pot. Spend time reading online rose catalogs. They cover rose care as well as plant selections. You are in hardiness zone 8a and should be able to leave your roses outside during winter as roses are hardy plants. Keep in mind that a lovely rose needs a nice container that is large enough. Along with the weight of watered potting soil, the weight of several containers plus a grill plus 2 people in chairs may stress your balcony. Check with the building superintendent if you weren't given information on balcony weight restrictions. Since the rose isn't in the ground, it is totally dependent on you to keep it watered and fed. Even in winter, it needs light watering once a month or so. Dry winter winds strip moisture from bare branches and can kill the plant if soil dries out completely. This link is a great beginner article: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/container-roses-growing-roses-in-pots.htm
