I'm not sure they ARE, however.

At least, with the roses we plant in squats in the ground, you can tell when they get roots OUT of the pot and into free earth. I don't see a backing-off from that, tho. (However, I can't say why that is so.)

Jeri

Sounds good in theory... I haven't experienced or observed that, either. Joe Winchell used to grow his HTs used to breed his seedlings in VERY close proximity around his home. To "encourage" reluctant seed setters to form hips, he "root pruned" with a shovel. The theory was when attacked and made to think they were in danger of dying, the bushes would suddenly form hips in a last ditch effort to reproduce. He felt it worked, which it may have. It didn't seem, from what I saw, to limit the size of his plants. Kim

I think you can root-prune all to Hellandgone, but in the end, if you want smaller plants, you really need to plant smaller cultivars.

As a matter of personal taste, I'm very happy to have fewer, larger, more vigorous roses.

Jeri

Interesting ideas.

I am only speculating based on my observation of the tunnels which run up to and around the baskets of the roses which I have dug up and replanted over the past 2-3 years.

Exactly opposite of Jeri's my preference is for as many roses as I can possibly have. Since my space is limited to 1/2 acre, I'm always glad when roses don't get too big and limit my ability to add more and different ones. I like it when my eye always has another rose to wander to as it skims over the landscape that is mine.

Whether this root pruning really happens or not I don't know...I'm just speculating. Although I have roses in the ground for upwards of 15 and more years, none of them went into baskets until about three years ago, so it's a bit hard to know what results have to do with prior gopher damage being stopped, newly re-planted old roses, etc.

Still....it's worth observing and pondering...

I'll be happy to send you some moles. Their activity has definitely stunted a number of my roses due to the soil being disturbed, interrupting the roots ability to utilize the water, and the water draining away too quickly down the burrows. They're as hateful as the gophers sometimes. Kim

Well, Kim, thank you very much for the lovely offer (ahem....), but I've got already got them here. They move right into any available gopher tunnels if here is ever a vacancy.

At the current rate of underground activity, I expect that my "feet above sea level" is going to drop by a digit within the next year or two.