How do the roots grow?
- Thread starter bobj1598
- Start date
FirstCavApache64
Well-Known Member
I took an old dinner fork and used a pair of pliers to bend the individual tines over 90 degrees to make a tiny rake. I use it a couple times a week to break up the top inch or so before I water as the dry amendments I use form a crust on the surface and like to get hydrophobic if I don't. Sometimes you'll snag a surface root but as long as you don't yank them out and you are moving slowly and gently I've only seen good results. I also use a bamboo chopstick to poke down into the soil all the way in several places to aerate the media several times a week. I do this after I've watered and it hasn't hurt the roots or caused any problems for them. They really seem to like it since I started doing it about a year ago. My plants tend to get to really root bound in 3 and 5 gallon pots so aerating the rootball seems to help keep them healthier.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
I use bamboo barbecue skewers long enough to reach the bottom. Anything long enough including a screwdriver. You will not hurt the roots. In fact they’ll be thanking you. I do this after feeding. Usually a day or two after. From seedlings to full bloom
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hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
For rootbound in buckets way back when I had a long butcher knife. Insert between the plant and the container side 5 or 6 times every week. In different spots. Severed roots heal and divide.I got a serving fork from the thrift store and use it to till the surface before watering and even after once it dries out a bit so air can get in easier. Dig around a bit without being too aggressive and the roots won't get hurt. Any near the top are thicker and tougher too. Basically pipelines to feed the plant with what the fine roots send up.
At each transplant I saw the bottom off the rootball to get rid of the stringy roots in the bottom and even shave down the sides to get rid of ones wrapped around the pot.
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Without shaving the side roots they all grow out the bottom and the sides of the rootball never really connect with the new soil and grow into it. I just kicked apart some rootballs into my garden patch and the old rootballs were totally separate around the sides because I didn't prune the side roots. Can just slash randomly around the outside of the ball too instead of shaving them down. When roots are cut off/pruned they branch out like the plant does when you top it or the branches.
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FirstCavApache64
Well-Known Member
I caught hell the other day in another thread from an internet grower that was certain this causes hermis. He just wouldn't let it go so I dropped it. I haven't seen one hermi or negative effect since I've started doing it and my roots have been thicker at the edges of the pots and just in general when I've looked at them after chop.
Rozgreenburn
Well-Known Member
You seem to have it down bro.. Remember, that ignore button is your friend!!!
FirstCavApache64
Well-Known Member
I used to score my transplanted vegetable plants that way when they were rootbound really bad with a serrated knife. Really freaked people out to see me cutting on the roots sometimes but it helped em in the long run. It's just how I was taught how to garden as a kid.
FirstCavApache64
Well-Known Member
I have thicker skin than that, it's just a minor annoyance and I hate seeing people get bad information more than anything.
Rozgreenburn
Well-Known Member
Great mind set! Some people give wrong advise and won't quit. I put them on ignore in the hopes they will put their little troll shoes back on, and go away. At any rate, they are gone from me!.
bobj1598
Well-Known Member
Is there any chance I might do irreversible damage by doing this? I'm a first time grower, but I have noticed the hardened top soil to be a problem, as water tends to pool near the top when watering.
I'll stab the soil EVERYWHERE using a chopstick. Is that okay? Also is this the reason why people love Perlite so much?
twentyeight.threefive
Well-Known Member
I hate perlite.
bobj1598
Well-Known Member
FirstCavApache64
Well-Known Member
I hated adding it as it was a pain to rinse before using, but I like having a heavy amount in my soil. That's why I like Roots Organic original soil. It has a ton of perlite and drains really fast so I can water really frequently.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
Chopsticks are perfect.
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
Why do you need to rinse it? When I use perlite right out of a bag I just measure out what I need and mix it in. With ProMix HP you don't need to add any perlite to it and can use the HP right out of the bale, water in nutes, and it's good to go. Easiest growing I've done in pots is with straight HP and AN 3-part nutes. With RO water there's never a concern about pH and if you don't constantly overfeed no need for runoff either.
Now I'm using organics with HP and still having problems getting that to work but getting better all the time. Myco makes it work a lot better.
Buying Roots products supports Monsanto and is killing our planet so I stay away from all Roots/Hawthorn/Scotts/Bayer/GH products. They've probably bought up even more companies I need to boycott but it's hard to keep up as they are trying to take over the market. Next is GMO pot seeds that are RoundUp ready.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
I’m OCD on certain things. Topping, supercropping and tearing up the medium. I’ve done all for years and who knows how many crops. Then I have guy’s tell others I advise doing any or all to not do it or it will hurt something. I just laugh. I put a skewer in every single container when I do final transplant.
FirstCavApache64
Well-Known Member
To be honest you're probably who I picked it up from. I can't remember which member it was that was talking about doing it but there aren't many people that are big into it that talk it up. I started about 4 runs ago as far as the probing and it's made a difference as far as the hydrophobic issues I used to see on occasion and I have roots growing out the sides of containers in less than a week after transplant which never used to happen. Damaging roots with seeds is one thing or baby clones, but plants that are established can take the probing we're talking about all day long and seem to thrive on it based on what I've seen.
buckaclark
Well-Known Member
That reminds me to renew my subscription to Root Afficianado magazine