I really like to use the longest serrated stainless steel bread/carving knife I can find. I have an old, cheap one with the blade about 12". After that, the husband put an edge and a handle on a piece of flat rod. I run that well around the sides to cut the roots growing into the wood.

In a plastic pot, I also use them to stick into the bottom holes, swish around and move to the next hole. The problem with the wooden planters is that they have no side holes. Rather than take them appart somehow, after loosening the sides, I would place the pot on its sice, place a square shovel in the bottom and lift a bit to sense how stuck the roots are to the bottom. It may lift out at this point. If not, take out shovel, turn pot 180deg and repeat. When it seems loose enough AND if it seems the root ball is not tight and will fall apart, put cardboard or plastic squares in the sides and try to lift out with the shovel in the bottom. You will find your way.

In the recent years, I have really decided that disturbing the rootball, really sets the plant back, sometimes fatally, depending on how sensitive the young plans are.

Another thing I do not do anymore is roll the sides of plastic pots to loosen the rootball, it's too easy to loose bit portions of the roots.

Best,
Kerin

If your planter is big enough, you may be able to slip a shovel or spade down the inside very close to the wood and loosen it all around. Then lay the planter on its side and loosen as much as you can from the drainage hole in the bottom. Try slipping it out from this position. Cardboard or a tarp on the ground under it as Kerin suggested is an excellent idea.

Good luck!

Folly

Zaphod42, hindsight is 20/20, of course, but if you decide you want to continue potting in wooden planters, you could try using a liner such as a heavy garbage bag of the most similar size. (I used contractor's bags.) I invented this method for an odd circumstance. A client wanted to use very specific porous decorative pots to house plants that would eventually outgrow their homes on an exposed balcony many stories up in Dowtown Portland. I lined the containers with heavy plastic bags both to protect the roots from drying out in the heat (west exposure) and from suffering in the cold winds during the winter. I also wanted to tidily and as easily as possible transfer the plants to other locations when they had overgrown their welcome.

I cut adequate drainage holes in the bottoms of the bags and smooshed--is that a word?--the bags flat against the bottoms of the planters. I folded the sides and taped them with duct tape. I folded the tops of the bags so they hit just at soil level or a bit above to allow for mulching. I used a fast draining material such as gravel in the bottoms. (On the windy balcony, the gravel also stabilized pots that contained tall plants.) I filled the bags with soil, pressing gently against the sides a bit to keep the bags folded between the soil and the pots, and planted as usual. When I was ready for plant removal, I pulled the entire bags from the planters with a bit of careful work. I did this by turning the planters partially on their sides, slipping my hands between the planters and tops of the bags, holding the folds of the bags and pulling and wiggling until the entire packages of soil and roots and bags were free. It helps if a partner holds the bottoms of the planters. Then I moved the bags o' plants to their new locations, carefully slit the bags open, removed roots and soil together and slid them into my planting holes. (A utility knife or old kitchen shears work well for cutting.) You may have to pick a little gravel out of the roots. Some gravel was buried with my plants, but in Portland clay, it's all good.

Anyway, just food for thought. You may prefer plastic pots, of course. In my own garden, I long ago surrendered the pretty planters in my baby plant nursery and replaced them with plain ol' black plastic nursery pots. Not nearly as attractive as your wooden planters, but straightforward. However, if you're still feeling decorative and you're game for a little experiment.... :-) Carol

Moving forward, may I suggest these planters? I bought a few this year from Home Depot. Both links are for the same product -- for some reason, it's listed twice on the website with two different pictures but the same sku#.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-22-5-in-Resin-Whiskey-Barrel-HDR-505742/203580708?N=5yc1vZbx4v

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Southern-Patio-22-1-2-in-Whiskey-Barrel-Resin-Planter-FGS-468573/202294014?N=5yc1vZbx4v

You'll have to drill drainage holes yourself, but for the size and durability of the planter, a $20 price tag is hard to beat.

:-)

~Christopher

I like the wood planters a lot. Bought these at Menards on clearance the last two years for around $15 ea.

Liked them because I think they retain moisture better. I bought some Smart Pots to try this spring, but still like the look of the planter. I might just set the Smart Pots in the planters.

My additional question is regarding the necessity of moving the rose. Its a 3 cu ft size. I planted a Vintage band in there last spring. Should I move it this spring or should I give it another summer before I disturb?

Here is a link that might be useful: Cedar tub planter

Zaphod, just ignore the lining reply above if it's far removed from any plans. I looked at your link. Nice planters. Big ones, too. I usually put bands in 1 gallons and increase the size of the pots as the rose grows, so your rose in a 3 cubic foot planter should have plenty of room for more growth. If your question is asking when to move a rose into the garden, it depends on the rose--class, cultivar, size and health of the intitial band, etc. If the plant has filled out nicely in its 3 gal. pot, I move it to the garden. Some roses grow to that size in a year. Some take longer. If I have a spot prepped ahead of time, I have been known to put a vigorous gallica, alba or damask straight in the ground as a band. How did your wooden plantered babes fare in the Wisconsin winter? It sounds like they weathered it well. I was so paranoid in Minneapolis that I bubble wrapped potted plants and, in general, tended to shy away from overwintering pots, even in the garage. What kinds of roses do you have in your planters? Carol

I currently only have two in the wooden planters - Comice de Tarn-et-Garonne (Bourbon) and Ingrid Bergman (HT). I'm thinking about putting Comice in the ground, but may give her another year in the pot. I liked the planters last year and bought a bunch on clearance at end of season so I'll have more this spring to go in them. This is the year that the pot ghetto explodes for me. Everything wintered fine for me in the garage. The only one of my potted roses that is questionable is one that was in plastic. The wood might have been helpful in insulating the plant, but that is a random thought only.

Zaphod, it sounds like your wood planters are good insulators. I should have tried something like that in my northern days. I also placed all my garage pots on something insulating so they didn't sit directly on concrete. I used bubble wrap or sheets of foam leftover from electronics packaging. Since the climate is so harsh up there, I'd make sure your Bourbon and especially your HT have good root systems going before transplanting. I usually judge this by the amount of growth above soil. When a plant produces several strong canes with plenty leaves, I cross my fingers and hope the root system matches the surface. This method wouldn't work for Marechal Niel, of course. It sounds like you're thinking along the same lines and your Bourbon may be ready?When I lived in MN, I usually transplanted in the late spring (not fall) to give my plants time to settle in before the winter onslaught. I'd love to see photos of what you're growing up there. I mostly stuck to once-blooming OGRs. Did you notice that your planters are made right here in Oregon? How funny that your rose in the plastic nursery pot didn't fare as well. I think you might be onto something with your thick wood containers! :-) Carol