Marianne's Response

Container gardening with rosa glauca plants

Hi Marianne,
Hoping you can answer a couple questions about our lovely rosa glauca: 1. What is the best way/time to prune a rosa glauca that’s planted in the ground? 2. Can a rosa glauca be successfully grown in a container? If so, could you please include details such as the size of the container and any other specific care instructions? Also, my husband loves gunneras and would like to plant one in a large container with minimal drainage (since they like wet soil). Do you think this could work or is he setting himself up for disappointment? Thanks so much!

Posted by Lori Diamond on April 20, 2014

Marianne's Response

Rosa glauca is wild at heart and wants to grow into a huge thicket - the roots run deep and wide so although it is possible to grow this blue foliaged rose in a large pot it is not very practical. You can prune Rosa gluaca as soon as you see the forsythia bloom in the spring or in early winter if you need to really cut it down by one half or more. Remember this rose wants to be huge and does best with just minimal pruning to remove the dead, diseased and damaged wood. As for your gunnera, I have seen them thrive in large containers. Add extra peat moss or compost to the potting soil to keep it moist. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti

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