Hello everyone,
I would love advice from rosarians who are experts in potted roses. I’ve just purchased two estate roses and want to confirm if they’ll truly thrive long-term in the planters I have available.
Planter dimensions (urn-style):
• Top opening: 14”
• Widest middle diameter: 18” (57” circumference)
• Height: 27”
• Usable soil volume: ~27 gallons
Grace Rose Farms Roses I’ve purchased:
- Rosa ‘Meidysouk’ PP 24,296 — Princess Charlene de Monaco® (hybrid tea trained as a climber, ~5–6’ tall × 2–3’ wide on support)
- Rosa ‘MEItroni’ PP 19,970 — Francis Meilland® (hybrid tea, upright bush, ~5–7’ tall × 3–4’ wide)
Concern: The planters are deep and heavy with excellent soil volume (~27 gal), but the narrow 14” top opening makes me wonder if it will restrict crown spread and root flare compared to the generous middle width.
Has anyone grown large hybrid teas or climbers successfully long-term in urn-style planters like this? Will these roses be able to reach close to their full potential in terms of size, health, and bloom performance?
Thank you in advance for your guidance!
Large hybrid teas will accumulate such mass that wind might knock them over, depending on your climate.
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I agree with Elena. I would also add anything you put in a pot will eventually require repotting. Soil is digested by soil bacteria and fungi and eventually washes through the drain holes. You honestly will benefit using a pot whose opening is at least as wide (or wider) than the widest part of the pot interior. Often, you can ease the depleted root ball out of the pot, replace fresh soil under it, replace the soil ball and add more fresh soil on top and the rose will be delighted. If the pot opening is narrower than the pot interior, you have to destroy the pot or the root ball to remove it from the pot.
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Also, these very tall containers may require some engineering thought. Since the shape varies, you might want to think ahead about root mass and taking a plant out eventually. I have known one person who put something heave at the bottom for stability, then put another plastic container inside with potting mix to hold the desired plants. That way drainage will be less of an issue also.
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Elena has an interesting idea and it may work, however it will also reduce the usable size of your containers from 18” (widest middle diameter) to only 14” (top opening). They’re attractive containers. Perhaps they may be better used to hold 14” pots of ornamental grasses or other “companion plants”?
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Thank you! I thought the roots could grow down into the pot and be okay.. sigh
They may be able to grow down into the pot, but that would lead to eventual larger issues. Not only would you still not be able to easily remove the root ball due to it being wider than the opening, but it would then have a divider between the plant root ball and the roots which have then grown through the drainage holes into the lower soil. Should you attempt to remove the plant for repotting, those lower roots will definitely be disturbed and likely require removal. Your best bet would be to obtain wider planters with straight or sides flared outward so removing the plant for repotting could be accomplished more easily. Hopefully their bases would be wider in relation to the pot heights to assist in their vertical stability once the bushes grow at tall as they are sure to grow.
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I had a Princess Charlene de Monaco in a pot for a month or so and it really struggled to stay healthy and pest free. I moved it to a raised garden bed instead and it immediately took off and is doing so much better now. With all that being said, I agree with the others that posts probably aren’t the best route.
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