Not sure I would do anything that adventurous in the middle of summer. If it were me, I would just put it in a bigger pot with some potting soil and wait until fall to deal with the root ball. I have had good success just soaking tight rose root balls in water overnight to aid in the process. Linda

Shoot, well....I'm way too lazy to tackle this again, so I hacked away. I do not know how aggressive I should have been with the thick, woody roots. Or the fine roots for that matter. Just loosening some of the thick mats of them ended up losing the whole mat. Al had said something about loosening roots with chopsticks....my chopstick immediately broke. I ended up poking into the mass with the point of my small clipper, then shooting jets of water, then pulling with my fingers. Man what a chore.

I still would like to hear any details about how people root prune roses grown in containers.

I think you will be fine with what you did. I have often whacked off an inch or two of that mat of roots at the bottom of the pot before planting and they take off with new vigor. Al

I too have whacked off a few inches or two on all sides and the bottom and repotted in the summer and mine have been fine. In fact, hey seem to grow healthier shortly after.

Mike

There are some root-pruning basics in the thread about growing trees in containers that would be applicable to roses.

The dog days of summer are good for repotting most houseplants/cacti/succulents, tropical trees, and most pines, but that's about it.

Al

Here is a link that might be useful: Click me and I'll take you right to what he was talking about.

andersons, I have a lot of roses, some in pots. If I plant a rose, or transplant it, or repot, I do root prune. I've bought plants as you describe, with entangled root balls that are basically the entire pot. Sometimes I soak them for a day or too, that may help to loosen some of the mess. You can remove most of the thicker roots, they are mostly for anchoring and not feeding. Try to keep most of the finer roots if you can. If you do this, the plant will hopefully spread it's roots in the new pot. Then you can repot again next year and maybe remove more of the older tangled roots.

Thank you all. This is all very useful.

By today, it is not looking too good. Leaves on one cane have turned crispy. Other leaves are yellowing.

I'm a little sad to see my Mr Lincoln suffering, but I'm not panicking yet...I've grown roses in pots for years and have always been amazed at how fast they can shoot out stems and leaves. My Chrysler Imperial, which I planted in a gritty mix last spring, shot up 6 inches or so last week when we finally got some warmer weather (which was bad for my repots, though!).

My climbing rose has been planted in a large pot for some years and has flourished. I now find this is because it has somehow grown through the bottom of the plastic pot. How on earth do l get it out without harming it? Any suggestions most gratefully received. Beth

How about cutting the pot? :)

How you treat it and timing depends in large part on where you live. Take solace in the fact that it's not the calamity you think it is. If you intend to make an attempt to provide as much opportunity as possible for your woody containerized plants to realize their potential, root pruning and repotting is an essential (as in indispensable) part of that plan.

I often set containerized plants growing on as potential bonsai on top of the soil in my raised beds so roots have opportunity to "forage" in the rich soil all summer. When fall has arrived and winter's served notice of intent by knocking leaves off everywhere in slapdash disorder, chop chop - off come the protruding roots, flush with the bottom of the pot, the pots go in the garage where its dweller can snooze peacefully, the plant gets repotted (which includes a complete change of soil and a good root pruning) just as spring starts bribing plants to grow with her warmth, and the cycle starts again ....... with or without the roots running into the earth. When they DO run into the earth, it has little influence on viability, but plenty of influence on vitality.

If you have 'how to' questions, wait until leaves fall, then sever the roots where they exit the pot bottom. In the meanwhile, you might make the effort to read the info I linked to above on 7/2/11 at 9:20, then put voice to whatever might still puzzle you.

Al

Thank you for your suggestions re my outbound climbing rose. The problem with both sensible ideas is that because the pot has not been moved before, the root has gone into the ground underneath and the pot is impossible to move to cut the root! Also of course, if l manage to saw through the thick plastic of the pot side, l will still have the bottom of the pot stuck to the ground! How stupid am l!? (but l ready didn't expect the plant to do so well and produce hundreds of beautiful pink blooms each year).

PS. I live in central London

From the department of redundancy department comes repetition of the fact it ain't no big deal. You'll need a shovel and a sharp tool that enables you to cut through the roots. Dig dig chop chop or saw saw - done. You needn't be careful, it needn't be pretty, just do what it takes to get the job done, do a repot in the spring, and repeat if you like or avoid if you don't. You're assigning 'impossibility' status to an issue that has to struggle to make 'inconvenience'. If you lived across town I'd bet you 1,000 € I could do it in 10 minutes; then, you'd realize I was serious in saying it's no big deal and approach it as the minor matter it is.

Al

Al

That 1000 Euros will buy you ticket to London...:)

It would indeed buy tapla a ticket to my garden in London, but perhaps his approach is a little too 'gung ho' for me! I'm 70 with arthritis.....

Lomax923, what you could do is use a saw and cut a little above the bottom of the pot, then remove whatever's left by hand. I don't think the plant would suffer that much.

If you can't cut through the plastic maybe you could ask someone to help you? Or you could use a power tool if you're comfortable.

Thank you Jo, that sounds more possible! Though if l can't get through the plastic, at this point procrastination seems a good idea!!

Lomax

I have the same happening with my figs and brugmansias - they sit in pots right on the ground. It is easier for me since they have to be brought inside every year before the winter, so maybe the rots are not as thick/deep. It is surprising how strong and thick the roots can get in just one season anyway, but still quite manageable. It would be more difficult if the pot has been in same location longer, roots growing even thicker. Most of the pots I have these plants in don't have a center hole, just 5-6 on perimeter and that makes it easier too (easy to see and access).

If you have a pruning saw, you could possibly slide it just under the pot and cut the root off close to the pot, then it would be easier to get the pot off.

Cutting off the very bottom of the container with a power tool as Jo suggested is a good idea (I use reciprocating saw for this...) - maybe a friend or good neighbour can help. And you'll get root pruning done at the same time.

Thanks Rina, l shall investigate if anyone l know has the appropriate tool. I feel so guilty having left them for so long (10 years!)

Though I'm still confident I would win that bet, 10 years of growth and a septuagenarian inquirer are bits of information that undoubtedly would have made me hesitate for at least a moment before saying it's not the calamity you think it is; but in all honesty, I would have said the same thing, but probably tempering what I said by making reference to the fact that help might be needed. Still, whoever you get to help isn't going to talk or reason it out of it's current position. The fact is, someone, at some point is going to have to go all gung ho on the plant to convince it that its hold on that particular spot in your garden should be relinquished - yes?

I hope you'll fare well - wishing you the very best luck in finding the right course and the very best outcome. ;-) If it was a plant commonly used for bonsai there, passing the word to the right people would likely result in a queue of those willing to lift it for nothing more than the plant itself.

Al

Thank you Al for your good wishes. Your message made me smile and your advice is most sensible. If l can't get it out of the pot, l shall start a single-handed campaign for bonsai climbing roses....