Christmas roses can give you joy for up to 30 years with the right care. We have some tips for you on what to look out for with this plant.
The winter months transform the garden into a dreary and monotonous landscape. But there are bright spots. Christmas roses (Helleborus niger) liven up the winter garden and make you want to start gardening in spring. The blossoms of the Christmas rose can also provide pretty eye-catchers on the balcony or terrace in the cold season. If the care of the snow rose is not neglected, the plants develop into robust and long-lasting beauties that delight every eye with their white or pink flowers.
Watering Christmas roses correctly
Christmas roses are watered sparingly. The plants do not get too much moisture. During flowering, the snow rose should be supplied with sufficient moisture. This means that the hobby gardener must also be active in the winter garden and supply the Christmas rose with water on frost-free days, or control the water balance. If the soil feels dry, it needs to be watered.
Summer means a kind of rest period for the Christmas rose. It is therefore hardly necessary to water the plants during the warmer months.
Fertilize Christmas roses correctly
The Christmas rose is also fertilized sparingly. The first application of fertilizer takes place after the end of the flowering period, i.e. around the beginning of March.
» Tip: Fertilization should be combined with pruning the leaves. Then the fertilizer can be worked into the soil more easily.
Another application of fertilizer is due in midsummer. Then the plants form new roots and gather strength for the forthcoming flowering period. Compost, horn shavings or rock flour are recommended as ideal fertilizers.
» Tip: If the Christmas rose produces more leaves but lacks the flowers, it is lacking in lime.
What types of Christmas roses are there?
Different types of Christmas roses can diversify the picture in the garden. The natural form already shows its flowers in December and is in bloom until April. Some species already bloom in autumn.This includes the “Praecox” variety.
Among the popular new breeds are the richly flowering representatives of the “Helleborus Gold Collection”, which embellish the Advent and Christmas season with their blooms. Some varieties are also suitable as cut flowers. These include “Joel” or “Jacob Classic”, which have quite sturdy stems.
» Warning: Christmas roses should not be cut for vases when it is frosty.
An overview of some Christmas rose species:
| Christmas Rose Art | Blooming time | Special Features |
|---|---|---|
| Helleborus Niger praecox | December to February | white flower blooms very early |
| December to February | White inside, pink outside Flowers strikingly large |
|
| Helleborus Niger Double Fashion | December to April | white double flowers very long flowering time |
| Rubra | December to March | red flowers long flowering time |
While Christmas roses usually bloom white and only take on a pink hue before they wither, the related spring roses offer the hobby gardener a varied play of colours. Lenten roses bloom a little later than the Christmas rose and surprise with pastel-colored, deep red or almost black flowers.
Can Christmas roses be transplanted?
Christmas roses are easy to care for and do very well with a minimum of attention. The plants grow comparatively slowly, but continue to multiply regularly. You can enjoy a Christmas rose for up to 30 years, but not if it is constantly transplanted. The choice of location must therefore be made with particular care. Christmas roses should be allowed to stay where they are. Transplanting should only be an issue when circumstances warrant it, the plant cannot cope with the chosen location, is infested with pests or is stunted.
» Tip: When choosing a location, it should be borne in mind that Christmas roses do very well in the company of other early flowering plants such as witch hazel or winterlings.
Christmas roses in a pot - care tips
Christmas roses can be cultivated well in pots and thus on the balcony and terrace or even in the apartmentbeautify. When choosing the planter, it should be noted that the snow rose can reach a proud height of 30 centimeters and the planter should be of a corresponding size. It is also important to ensure that the liquid can drain off easily and that the plant in the pot does not suffer from waterlogging. Sufficiently large drainage holes are just as important here as drainage in the bottom of the pot. This can consist of gravel or shards of pottery and ensures that the irrigation water can drain off well and does not accumulate in the planter.
In relation to the substrate, the snow roses have some requirements. The soil should be permeable, calcareous, loamy and humic. Good results can be achieved with garden soil, which is upgraded with high-quality potting soil and horn meal.
Pruning Christmas Roses
Faded will be removed regularly. To make the buds more eye-catching, removing the surrounding leaves is no problem. The hobby gardener does not have to carry out any further pruning work. Withered foliage should not remain on the plant. Fungi and bacteria prefer to multiply in old leaves. A radical pruning of the leaves too early should be avoided. This weakens the plant, which supplies itself with important nutrients via the leaves, which are needed for the next flowering period.
Propagating Christmas roses - what should be considered?
With sufficient care and an ideal choice of location, the Christmas rose will take care of its own propagation.
Reproduction by Division
The Christmas rose can be divided after the end of the flowering period. The prerequisite for this type of propagation is the presence of a sufficiently developed plant, which survives the division without any problems.
Step by step instructions
❶ Dig up the plant
❷ Divide the plant in the middle
❸ Plant a section in the new location
❹ Put the mother plant back in the old planting hole
❺ Gently step on the soil❻ Water plants well
Christmas roses form roots that reach far into the ground. Therefore, when removing the plant, you should dig deep enough. A sharp knife should be used for the division so that the plant is not permanently damaged.
If the Christmas rose is to self-seed, faded flowers are not cut back. When ripe, the seed pods open by themselves and the seeds fall to the ground, where they root directly or are carried away by the birds to other locations.
Is mineFrozen Christmas rose?
After a frosty night, the sight of the snow rose will probably startle the hobby gardener. The flowers have slumped and the plant seems powerless and frozen to death. Here the all-clear can be given. It is just a protective reaction of the plant. This directs the water from the leaves and flowers so that they are not cracked by the frost. When the temperatures rise, the Christmas rose will soon show itself again in its old splendor and beauty.
Caution, poisonous!
Gloves should be worn when caring for the plants because all parts of the plant are poisonous. Contact with the sap can cause allergic reactions.