Christmas roses in pots: planting and caring for them in pots

Christmas roses also do well in tubs. Here you can find out what you need to pay particular attention to when planting and caring for Christmas roses in pots.

If you don't have your own garden, you can christmas roses (Helleborus niger) can also be wonderfully planted in a pot. The winter queen among flowers opens her blossoms when many other plants are in hibernation. The Christmas roses defy the cold without any problems, a location in a shady to semi-shady, sheltered place on the balcony or terrace is ideal. If a nutrient-rich, humus-rich soil is then used, nothing stands in the way of the splendor of the white or red Christmas roses with a little care.

In the following, we will explain the best way to proceed when planting in pots. We have also summarized the most important maintenance points for you.

Suitable Christmas rose varieties for the pot

There are around 20 different ones Helleborus-Species that are often incorrectly all referred to as Christmas roses. By the way, another name of the plants is snow rose. For example, the Oriental Hellebore (Hellebore orientalis) and the “real” Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), which, like some other species, can also be found growing wild in Europe. However, since there are only a few copies left, they are usually under special protection. Fortunately, today there is also a large selection of different varieties of Christmas roses that you can purchase for cultivation. Here we have prepared a small selection of Christmas roses for you that are suitable for planting in containers:

• Helleborus niger 'HGC Joel': Bright white flowers; flowers from December; compact, medium growth; up to 20 cm high; suitable for semi-shady and shady locations.
• Helleborus niger 'double fashion': White, double flowers; blooms from December to April; reaches heights of about 20 cm; thrives in sunny and partially shaded locations; very good winter hardiness.

• Helleborus niger ‘HGC Jacob’: white flowers; blooms from November to February; strong and stable; medium growth; grows about 20 cm high; suitable for semi-shady and shady locations.
• Helleborus niger ‘Praecox’: Early flowering variety; white, cupped flowers; blooms from November to December; sprawling growth; grows about 25 cm high; prefers partially shaded locations.
• Helleborus niger ‘HGC Jericho’: Large, white flowers; flowers from December; dark green foliage; sprawling growth; grows about 25 to 30 cm high; suitable for partially shaded locations.

Tip: Christmas roses can also be combined wonderfully with other spring flowers such as snowdrops (Galanthus) be combined.

Plant Christmas roses in pots

In order for your Christmas rose to thrive in a pot, there are a few points to consider when planting. Christmas roses are deep-rooted, which is why you should choose a sufficiently large planter for your darling. A small opening at the bottom also ensures that excess water can drain away. Therefore, first of all, fill the pot with a drainage layer of potsherds, grit or expanded clay to avoid waterlogging. A good potting soil is ideal as a substrate, for example our peat-free and sustainable one Plantura organic potting soil, which contains all the nutrients for a rich bloom.

To make the substrate permanently structurally stable, you can mix it with a third of crushed expanded clay or lava chippings. As a lime-loving plant, the Christmas rose also benefits if you mix a good handful of lime into the soil. Put some soil in the pot, form a planting hole and put the Christmas rose in the middle. Then fill the pot with the substrate and water the plant well so that the soil can settle. If you want to do something particularly good for the Christmas rose, cover the surface of the earth with moss, bark or bark mulch, which keeps the moisture in the pot ball and also looks decorative.

A semi-shady or shady spot on the balcony or terrace is ideal as a location. Caution: All parts of the Christmas rose are highly poisonous, so keep an eye out on curious children and animals. About the Toxicity of Christmas roses you can get more detailed information in our appropriate special article.

How do you properly plant Christmas roses in pots?

1. Choose a sufficiently large pot or bucket
2. Insert drainage layer
3. Substrate (e.g. our Plantura organic potting soil) if necessary mix with sand
4. Insert Christmas rose
5. Fill up with substrate
6. Water well
7. Cover potting soil with moss or mulch material

Tip: Be sure to wear gloves when planting Christmas roses. Leaking plant juices of the poisonous buttercup plant (Ranunculaceae) could otherwise lead to skin irritation.

Caring for Christmas roses in pots: you should pay attention to this

To ensure that your Christmas rose grows well in the pot and feels good over the long term, you should take good care of your darling. The following aspects are particularly important when caring for your Christmas rose:

Water the Christmas roses in the pot

Water your Christmas rose regularly to keep it from drying out. However, waterlogging should be avoided at all costs. Even in winter, it should be watered regularly on frost-free days and, if necessary, a layer of mulch made of leaves or compost should be applied to avoid moisture differences as much as possible. At sub-zero temperatures, the flowers sometimes appear "flabby". However, this is not due to a lack of water, but represents a protective reaction of the plant. The Christmas rose extracts water from the pathways so that the frost does not burst them. When temperatures rise, the plant will straighten up on its own and continue flowering.

Fertilize Christmas roses in the pot

So that your Christmas rose produces many flowers, you can already work some fertilizer into the substrate when planting. It is best to use a fertilizer of organic quality with an organic long-term effect - such as our Plantura Organic flower fertilizer - back. This is slowly decomposed and gradually releases the nutrients for the plant.

Overwinter Christmas roses in pots

So that the root ball of the Christmas rose does not freeze through in the cold winter months, it is best to wrap the pot with bubble wrap or a jute bag during this time. If you place the planter on a wooden or styrofoam board, the Christmas rose is also protected from the cold from below. In the spring you can gradually cut off the withered flowers if you do not want to harvest seeds. Leave the foliage until it has withered completely.

Tip: If you want to cultivate Christmas roses indoors, you should choose a bright, cool place with a room temperature of 10 to 15 °C. However, a parking space in the heated living room is not suitable for Christmas roses.

Detailed information on Christmas rose care can be found in our special article.