When to plant and prune Rose (Patio & Miniature)
Rose (Patio & Miniature) flowers from mid June to early October and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Rose (Patio & Miniature) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| South Coast and Channel | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| South East and Home Counties | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| East Anglia | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| Wales and West Coast | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| Northern England | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| Northern Ireland | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late October to late December | mid June to early October | mid February to early March |
Growing notes
The best roses for pots, doorsteps and balconies. In containers they dry out fast and are hungry - water regularly and feed fortnightly from mid-spring to late summer. Many miniatures have little or no scent.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 40 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 50 cm
- Eventual spread
- 45 cm
- Hardiness
- H6
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 20 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 5 out of 5
Feeding
Feed in March/April as growth resumes and again in mid-summer after the first flush; roses in containers need feeding fortnightly from mid-spring to late summer.
Pruning: what to avoid
True miniatures need only weak and twiggy growth shortened - treating them like a full-size floribunda takes away most of the plant. Patio and polyantha roses take a light late-winter prune; deadhead all of them through summer to keep the flushes coming.
Pruning group
RHS pruning group 22 (patio, polyantha and miniature): prune in late winter as a small-scale floribunda, cutting main shoots back in proportion to the plant's size
Bare-root season
Bare-root stock is lifted and sold while dormant, from late October to late March. Container-grown plants can go in at other times of year, but bare-root is cheaper and establishes well.
What usually goes wrong
- black spot
- aphids
- powdery mildew
- rose replant disease
- drying out in containers
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for rose (patio & miniature).