Granted, I've not done this roses, BUT, I've done it with a ficus tree I kept in the same pot for 5-10 years, while it grew 3 feet taller... Take it out of the pot, (which you have done) use a long blade knife that will not reenter the kitchen (we had two bread knives, and I snagged the sliciest one, that didn't rip things; now I'd use a machete I bought at a Big Box store) and slice at least an inch off the perimeter and base. I think I've read you should take 1/3 third of the dirt/roots off? Put nice fresh dirt in the base, put smaller root ball back on the base, and fill dirt to original level and water. Keep it out of the hot sun for a week or so, until it perks up.

Good luck!

Wow! That's a lot of roots!!! I've taken roses out of their pots, and the roots don't seem to be very long -they never touch the sides of the pots - and I've had some in there for 5 years!! I have bigger pots and am in zone 3...but still - you have a lot of roots there!!!

Minflick - that's great advice - I'll check my pots again next summer and use your method if needed. Thank You

Carol

Thanks for the advice, minflick. but are you suggesting I could do this now and not wait until the rose is dormant?

This particular rose is in a 29 litre pot but I checked another one today in a 48 litre pot and it looks almost the same. They are both on Multiflora rootstock so I guess Multiflora is really too vigorous to be suitable for pots!

Given that I've never done this on roses - please take my advice with more than a grain of salt! I'd think, given that your rose roots look pretty happy, that now would be safe, and would give them time to establish more before winter comes. Would it be possible to pot up into larger? Like half barrels? Lack of space will hamper growth, and 29L is not a large pot.. I'd probably only keep a mini rose in that. The 48L is better, but multiflora rootstock may be, as you say, just too vigorous for a pot.

Something else to consider is that the roots would be much better protected in the ground, and if that isn't possible for you, think about what kind of insulation you could give those pots during the winter. There are others here much more expert than I am at dealing with potted roses and snow! Seil comes to mind!

Thanks again minflick. I store the pots in my frost free garage during winter so insulation is not needed. I'd like to use larger pots but anything above 50-60 L just becomes too heavy to move around.

Can you get plant saucers on wheels? My grandmother had trees in her apartment up on wheels!

Henrik - we use a two-wheeled dolly. Works very well.

Carol

I use fabric pots (e.g. "smart pots" on Amazon) which is supposed to prevent roots encircling like that. Perhaps not as aesthetic as a hard pot but they do drain and allow aeration better. Also you can buy tan ones which are less hot than black smart pots. One thing that is a drawback, the plant does not come out easily from a large smart pot so I sometimes end up placing the pot where I want to plant the rose, then cutting the pot away from the soil so as not to disrupt the roots.

Yes, I've heard about those. They're supposed to be fabulous.

Carol

I've found that root pruning depends a lot on the variety of rose I'm dealing with It will also depend on you climate and the size of the pot. I've had some roses stay untouched in the same pot for 5 or 6 years and others needed to be up potted or root pruned in just a couple of years. I'm in zone 6 and have a fairly short growing season. People in warm zones with long growing seasons may have to root prune every year or two for some varieties. You just have to keep an eye on your roses and see what they seem to need. I can usually tell when a rose needs to be pruned by how water flows through the pot. If it seems like the water starts flowing out the bottom almost as quickly as it's going in at the top that usually means there isn't much soil left and the plant is probably root bound.

I prune the top back by about 1/3 first. This makes the rose easier to handle and also makes it easier for the diminished root ball to handle feeding the top growth. Then remove it from the pot and cut the roots down by about half, shaving off the sides and bottom, before replanting in fresh soil.

I do have all my pots up on wheeled pot trolleys. This makes them a lot easier to move around and also allows for easier drainage.

I knew you'd have good advice that was more climate appropriate than anything I could offer!

Thanks for showing your rose in a smart pot, totoro. That's interesting! How large is the pot?

I have such uneven surfaces everywhere and I often move the pots back and forth from the lawn to the patio or porch, so wheels doesn't really help me, but thanks for the suggestions.

I will give your method of root pruning a try, seil. Thanks!

Seil - that's a good explanation - when the water flows through freely it means there's not enough soil, and too many roots. I'll have to keep that in my memory banks. :)

Carol

I think it is 15 gallon. It is largest size I could buy and it was my best guess of what would support a large climber. The handles really help me drag another large smart pot around (not MAC, once I get someone to help me lower it into the container, I won't be able to lift it out myself.)