I realize I'm in a different climate here in the Midwest, and most of my roses are grown in the ground. I do, however, have one rose planted in a large container. It's a Burgundy Iceberg.

I haven't had problems with ants or caterpillars, but the Japanese beetles have been horrible! I made the mistake of using a bit of the Bayer systemic in the container, and it burnt the leaf tips. The plant, itself, is fine... but for a while, the leaves didn't look so good. I'll never use that product on container plants again... lesson learned!

Immunox, however, did a wonderful job of removing the Japanese beetles, and so far, they haven't been back. That's not to say that they won't be back, though... there doesn't seem to be a product that bothers them overly much!

As far as a potting medium is concerned, I'm using a well-draining quality potting soil, and so far, the rose is growing well... it's beginning its second flush of blossoms!

Roses are heavy feeders that like a lot of sun and a lot of water... although, too much water can be a problem. I wait until the soil is dry several inches down in the pot before thoroughly watering again, and I have the pot in full sun, no saucer underneath. I've had no root rot problems so far.

I would suggest changing mediums, perhaps to something more along the lines of Al's Mix. You can find information on that in one of the posts below this one... I believe it's called "Container Soils - Water Movement & Retention". That particular post might help you with your Rose root questions. I use Al's Mix for my potted bulbs, and I've had wonderful results!

I dumped a dead rose and the roots were a little too moist and the top even with mulch was bone dry.

Listen to jodik's advice and read Container Soils - Water Movement & Retention V.

Sounds like your soil is severely hampering the vitality and vigor of your roses; your soil conditions may have actually lead to the death of the one you mention above. Make your own soil mix per instructions in the link, and I believe your roses will rival, or EXCEED, what you would expect of an in-ground plant. Really!

Cheers!

I haven't had the budget to make a bulk amount of Al's Mix yet, but I can tell you that I've learned so much about growing healthy plants with healthy root systems by reading and following the advice that Al writes here in the forum!

I have used Al's Mix in a lot of my smaller indoor pots, and I've got beautiful plants with healthy leaves and roots! I've virtually eliminated rot from my Hippeastrum collection, and my Clivia is thriving!

Once I read and understood how soil and water and plants interact together, it was easy to correct my problems... and my next step is mixing up a huge batch of Al's Mix and converting ALL of my plantings into healthy, thriving specimens! I may have to wait until next spring to get bulk ingredients for a huge batch, but at least I know what to do, and I'm on the right track!

You'll be very happy you took the time to read Al's post... and your plants will thank you in the long run!

I dumped a dead rose and the roots were a little too moist and the top even with mulch was bone dry.

Listen to jodik's advice and read Container Soils - Water Movement & Retention V.

Sounds like your soil is severely hampering the vitality and vigor of your roses; your soil conditions may have actually lead to the death of the one you mention above. Make your own soil mix per instructions in the link, and I believe your roses will rival, or EXCEED, what you would expect of an in-ground plant. Really!

Cheers!

My message posted twice!!! And in different places! Wonder how that happended? Hmmm.

Fellow gardeners frequently ask "how can I be sure I am not over watering my containers?" My answer is simple,"if you have the correct soil in your container, it is not possible to overwater". If you find a bagged soil mix that drains well and does not turn into glue in a month or two you are a good shopper. If you follow "tapla's" advice and mix your own soil you will be much better off. Constant fertilization, especially for roses, is a requirement, as a mix that does not retain much water also does not retain much fertilizer. What is does contain is AIR which helps the roots transpire and take up nutrients. Al