Houseplants

» AsbestosMango - indoor growing

So, I picked up this pot of mini-roses at Food 4 Less- I couldn't resist- they were only two dollars.

Now, I've never been much of an indoor gardener, but I thought I'd take a chance, since they were so cheap, and so pretty... they seem to be blooming well, lots of buds (I've only had them a few days). It dropped a few leaves and buds, I figure the poor little plant is in shock due to having lived in a plastic bag at the store for however long and then being carried home. Otherwise, the plant seems healthy.
OK, here's the problem. I live in a small apartment, and all of the windows face west. Right now, the plant is sitting on top of a bookcase directly in front of a window, next to an icon of the Archangel Michael. It had been next to the Virgin of Guadalupe, but I had to move it because the sun comes in at this weird angle, and on the other side of the window, it was getting zero direct sunlight. This time of year, I figure the plant may get about 3 hours of direct sunlight in the afternoon, and will get less in the winter. In the summer, it would be getting much more light from the afternoon sun. No place to store the plant while it "rests", btw. Right now it's still in it's "temporary pot" (really a glorified disposable plastic cup with holes in the bottom). I plan to transplant it into a 5" pot in a couple of weeks with Miracle Gro potting soil.

Will my little rose bush be OK?

-- posted by AsbestosMango

» Susan Walsh - indoor growing

In response to indoor growing posted by AsbestosMango:

Hi!
First of all, I apologize for not responding in the sooner-I have been offline having a wisdom tooth pulled! Anyway, to get to your question, it sounds like the plant is very rootbound. I would repot it. Also, was it very dry when you bought it? If so it's possible that the rootball completely dried out. Once that happens the soil is very difficult to re-wet. My advice to to repot and water throughly. The sunlight shouldn't be causing any problems. Is it near a heater of any kind? If so it may be getting a bit cooked. You may also want to to check it closely for any signs of insects or disease. Miniature roses can be quite fussy and you're right, the stores really don't care for them properly. This is the time of year that they tend to go into dormancy, so that could simply be what is happening to it. The shorter days trigger it. I hope this helps!