Compact varieties have priority - tips for plant selection
If Christmas roses feel in good hands, they can reach an age of up to 25 years. This floral masterpiece results, among other things, from the growth as a deep-rooted plant. Therefore, the following compact varieties are well suited for cultivation in the tight space available in the balcony box:
- 'Praecox' scores with a long flowering period from November to March; Growth height 15 to 25 cm
- 'Double Ellen Picotée' inspires with pretty ruffled, double flowers from November; Height of growth 25 to 35 cm
- 'Black Swan' trumps with night black and crimson double flowers from December to March; Height of growth 25 to 30 cm
also read
- Planting balcony boxes imaginatively in autumn - tips for beautiful autumn planting
- The heyday of the Christmas rose
- Rhubarb in a pot - can that work?
An extravagant rarity among the Christmas roses is the new 'Hantay' variety. Its yellow, red-spotted flowers appear on stems up to 30 cm long from December to March.
Choosing a flower box and planting it - you should pay attention to this
The deep root system not only influences the choice of varieties for the balcony. The nature of Flower box(€ 149.00 at Amazon *) and substrate also take this vegetative property into account. Choose a flower box that is at least 30 cm deep and has several openings in the bottom for water drainage. As a substrate, we recommend high-quality potted plant soil with a few handfuls of loamy garden soil. How to properly plant Christmas roses in a flower box:
- Cut open pre-punched openings or, if necessary, drill holes yourself
- Above it is a 3 cm high drainage made of potsherds or Expanded clay(€ 16.35 at Amazon *) spread
- Fill in substrate up to half the height
- Plant the Christmas roses in it at a distance of 20 cm
Gradually fill in the rest of the soil. A pouring rim 1 to 2 fingers wide is advantageous. Place the flower box on the partially shaded balcony in a sheltered location and water.
Tips
To a balcony box hardy to plant, snow roses are not the only winter-blooming beauties. The ideal plant neighbors in the flower box are the delicate ones Purple bells 'Plum Pudding' (Heuchera Hybrid) with furious decorative leaves and the enchanting springCyclamen (Cyclamen coum), which puts on its flower dress as early as February.