Outdoor Care

• 1). Place miniature roses in a shady spot at the beginning of the season. Miniature roses need time to acclimate to the outdoors. If you've just bought your plants or they have been inside over winter, place them in a shady spot in May. Gradually expose them to more sunlight each day for seven to 10 days. They generally prefer a sunny location.
  
  
• 2). Water miniature roses deeply. Give them around 1 to 2 inches of water per week, but avoid getting their leaves wet as wet leaves attract fungus. Watering at the ground level will help their roots grow and develop. Adding a layer of mulch over the soil can also help miniature roses retain water.
  
  
• 3). Fertilize mini roses in early spring. Add a balanced liquid fertilizer once a month: once as they start to bloom and again when their blooms reach their peak. Discontinue fertilizing in August.
  
  
• 4). Prune miniature roses. Remove any yellowed leaves, dead branches, weak canes and faded flowers from your miniature rose. Cut the stems back to the newest leaflet.
  
  
• 5). Monitor miniature roses for pests. Roses are susceptible to spider mites and aphids. Both of these pests can be removed from the plant with a hard spray of water several times a week, but you may want to use a fungicide afterward to prevent fungus growth on wet leaves. You can also eliminate spider mites by spraying plants with a solution of 1 tbsp. of liquid dish-washing soap mixed with one quart of water.
  
  
• 6). Winterize miniature roses. Place a mound of soil at the base of the plant and cover the mound with leaves or mulch. Spraying miniature roses with a lime sulfur spray can help them survive the winter outdoors.
  
  

Indoor Miniature Rose Care

• 1). Place the miniature rose plant in a window that gets at least five to six hours of direct sunlight per day. Once a week, turn the pot to ensure that the whole plant gets enough light. Miniature roses prefer temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees F and will not flower as well in temperatures below 50 degrees. Keep your miniature roses in a warm, non-drafty location.
  
  
• 2). Water the miniature roses consistently. Test the soil by pressing your finger in to a depth of 1 inch. Whenever the top inch of soil is dry, drench the soil with water until it comes out of the container's bottom.
  
  
• 3). Apply a complete fertilizer. When miniature roses are flowering, they need to be fertilized one to two times a month. You can use a slow-release fertilizer, but avoid over-fertilizing as it can discourage flowering.