How to get your potted Christmas rose through the summer – best care tips
Christmas roses (Helleborus niger) are one of the few plants that bloom in the middle of winter. As well as being suitable for the garden bed, they are also popular as pot plants on balconies, patios or even indoors. This hardy perennial needs the right care to stay healthy throughout the summer. Here is how to get a potted Christmas rose through the summer without damaging it.
The right pot and substrate
To help your potted Christmas rose thrive, it is important to choose the right container:
- Use a deep pot with a large drainage hole to prevent waterlogging.
- Mixing clay granules or sand into the potting soil will make it more permeable.
- A humus-rich, calcareous and well-drained soil is suitable as a substrate.
Getting the Christmas Rose to flower in summer in a pot: the ideal location
If it is not possible to plant the Christmas Rose in the summer, it will need a suitable location:
- Choose a shady to partly shady spot, as too much sun can dry out the plant.
- A sheltered spot on a balcony or terrace is ideal.
- Avoid windy or hot spots as the Christmas Rose is sensitive to heat and needs a constantly moist substrate.
Watering Christmas Roses Properly
- Keep the soil evenly moist but not wet.
- Water the plant thoroughly, but avoid standing water.
- It’s best to use chalky tap water as Christmas roses prefer chalky soil.
- A mulch of bark or moss will help the soil retain moisture for longer.
Fertilising in summer
- Feed the plant every few weeks with a general purpose liquid fertiliser.
- Stop fertilising at the end of August to prepare the plant for winter.
How to overwinter a potted Christmas Rose
Christmas roses are hardy, but need special protection in pots:
- Wrap the pot in insulating material such as raffia matting or place it in a box with leaves.
- Protect the plant from hard frosts and evaporation with brushwood or fleece.
- Place the pot in a sunny spot during the winter to encourage flowering.
- Water moderately on frost-free days to prevent the roots from drying out.
Christmas Rose as a House Plant
Although Christmas roses are often used as Christmas decorations, they are not ideal as houseplants:
- Keep the plant in a cool, light room as warm temperatures will damage it.
- It should be moved outside as soon as possible after flowering.
