Thank you Karl, for bringing up this old post, esp., since it is now much more timely. I reread it and am glad that I am removing first buds and flowers in a much more timely manner. I am also starting to cull in a much more timely manner, but like Neil says you have to gain a little experience to know what a flower or seedling is going to do, before doing wholesale culling. In going back and rereading this thread, I also re- read the links an noticed an article in the Science Daily, which is interesting in view of the fact that many of us do have at least some of our seedlings (and more) in pots, and that is how pot size effects the ultimate expression of the plant. To quote “On average, doubling pot size allowed plants to grow 43% larger.” I hate to manhandle really large pots anymore, but I do believe that I might have to up some of the pots used for growing on the yearling seedlings. What size pots do you use for 1 yr, 2 yr and more, roses?
Hi Jackie,
I use 5 to 7 gallon pots to fully evaluate seedlings outdoors. For some seedlings however (the more “iffy” ones), I will have them share the 7 gallon pot, with up to 3 or 4 seedling roses in them. Inferior seedlings can be culled out of the pots allowing the better one(s) to grow on.
BTW, I let first buds bloom since most of my culling is done on the first blooms. Blooms of keepers are snapped off just after opening in order to promote further growth.
This is one of the favorite threads I go back to. A lot of good info here. Now I have marked on the calendar six weeks, six months and nine months. This is the year there may be nine months of growth here. At least some of the seedlings can be put to the test.
Neil
[quote=jriekstins]
he Science Daily, which is interesting in view of the fact that many of us do have at least some of our seedlings (and more) in pots, and that is how pot size effects the ultimate expression of the plant. To quote “On average, doubling pot size allowed plants to grow 43% larger.” [/quote]
Jackie,
Thanks for mentioning the article. I just read it on line here. It reminded me something I read years ago but never got a chance to try out. The author (I don’t recall the name) painted the inside of clay pots with a latex paint containing copper sulphate. When the root tips got close to the paint, they “burned”. New rootlets started growing from further back on the main roots, and grew until they too met the copper laced paint. This resulted in a plant with a mass of fine roots, rather than a few long roots wrapping around and around the pot. I don’t recall any mention of differences in the size of the plants, but a mass of small roots with lots of feeders would surely be better able to nourish the plant than a few long and thick “ropes” winding 'round the pot.
Karl
This sounds similar to the nylon fiber pots that are “self pruning”. I tried several for roses but it is my opinion that they are too shallow for roses to be very successful, but they did accomplish the job of making the plant amass a ball of fine roots close to the leader root. The pot works by forcing the plant to grow new roots when the root reaches the outside of the pot, since it dries and dies back at the tip. Problem is that I almost could not “peel” the plant out of the pot when I tried to transplant it. But it was a nice even mass of roots. I have seen large pots like this (very expensive) used in palm growing operations, and since they have a nice built in ‘handle’, it makes picking up very heavy plants much easier.
Karl
You wrote: " This resulted in a plant with a mass of fine roots, rather than a few long roots wrapping around and around the pot."
Even in plastic or wood terrines Miccorhyzae do have this effect.
Quite spectacular and a lot easier to transplant.