Do I fill 28″ planter box to top for tea roses?

Question

New to gardening. Have two plastic planter 28 inches tall. One foot down from top is a slotted divider. Do I remove this for planting bare root roses? Or do I just fill the top foot with dirt? If dirt goes all the way to the bottom, I suppose I need to drill drain holes in bottom. That would allow dirty water to run over balcony creating a messy appearance. Won’t the planters (one foot square at top, 9 inches square at bottom) blow over if bottom has no added weight? Pot is sheltered by balcony but roses will rise above it. Help?

Answer 1

24″ is deep enough for a mature hybrid rose. The total volume should be roughly 25 gallons or approx. 15 inches wide. You may be able to find an insert for that depth or you can fill the bottom with bricks or empty milk jugs. Some websites mention packing peanuts which I think would be a mess: every 2-3 years to you to repot roses into fresh potting mix. I guess one could corral the peanuts in a freezer bag. If you live in a high wind area, bricks and large stones help keep the pot from being blown over. When you fill the container with potting mix, gently firm the soil as you go to keep it from settling and lowering the soil level in the container. Your container will be too heavy to comfortably move once filled. If you plan on moving it during winter, buy or make a stand with casters.