In article , Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from Polar contains these words:


Just bought two new "bare-root" roses -- though many in that
huge display were already leafing out (So Calif)

For the last few years, nursery has been selling the bare
roots in biodegradable pots-- looks like some kind of cardboard? or?

One is supposed to plant the whole thing & it will
degrade/dissolve/disappear/whatever.

For some reason, I'm suspicious of these, and last year I
removed the pot and proceeded with normal planting.

Nursery guy said he has tried both ways with equal results.

Anybody have opinions/experience in my zone?

Nothing remotely like your zone...but biodegradeable, "plant the whole
thing" pots for roses (and small trees)were a fleeting fashion a few
years back in the UK. I think they were moulded under pressure out of
recycled card and peat. They didn't give good results as roots tended to
circle round inside rather than breaking through; so before the pot had
disintegrated, the plant had made a very bad compacted root structure
which would be difficult to recover from.I haven't seen pots like that
for a while now.

Janet.

Absolutely right. Sometimes a plant already rootbound in a pot has trouble
sorting itself out when planted even WITHOUT the added barrier of a peat
pot in the way of its growth. Whenever I've gotten something in a
peat-&-paper pot, I've cut the pot into pieces & tossed the pieces in the
compost. They break down very nicely there.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/