I need to pot up my 'Scarborough Fair' bare root rose which arrived the other day, but the roots are too long to fit in the pot. Is it OK to trim about 3 inches off some of them so they fit or is it best to put them in bent. Thanks.
If the roots don't fit the pot does it mean you need a bigger pot for the rose to thrive? If a temporary solution and you are moving it next spring I would bend unless they look a bit damaged then I would trim them. So I'm no help! Sorry.
I'm no expert but I trim the roots off roses and anything else I plan if they don't fit the hole /pot prepared for them unless they are a species with "dislikes root disturbance" trumpeted loudly on the RHS page. Roses seem to cope.
It’s absolutely fine to trim the roots of bare root roses, won’t do the rose any harm. I’ve trimmed a fair bit more than 3” to pot them up temporarily whilst I waited for space. Did about 10 that way last year and they all romped away in the ground. If to be grown in a pot permanently, you can always pot it on when it’s outgrown the current one.
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If a temporary solution and you are moving it next spring I would bend unless they look a bit damaged then I would trim them.
So I'm no help! Sorry.