Dead Rose Bushes

by Melissa
(Dallas, Texas, USA)

I was trying to grow a rose bush indoors in order to later transplant the bush to the countryside where my brother is buried. I've killed two rose bushes already and I am trying to find out what I've done wrong. I dont have any experience with plants (other than a few house ivys) and I dont know anyone that does to ask personally.

They both were in clay containers, and had plenty of sunlight each day and I watered them regularly. I was having a hard time figuring out how much to water them though. I think I killed them from over watering. Do you have any suggestions for indoor rose bushes?

Doug says that the watering issues can be dealt with by taking a look at the video on this page

Secondly, if your intent is to plant them at your brother's grave, I'd simply wait and purchase a rose when you're ready to plant. Never mind growing it indoors.

Growing woody plants such as roses indoors is always a problem because they want to go dormant (they drop leaves and look like they're dying in the winter) becsuse of reduced light levels. They do that outside and tend to do it inside as well.

So without high-light levels (as in grow lights) you don't have enough light to keep them thriving and they genetically want to rest anyway.

Bottom line. Buy the rose you want for your brother when you want to plant it - and then make that trip to do it right away.