What no such thing as root bound or root lock...I been a landscaper for most of my 55 yr life ...there is such a thing as root bound .....and your looking at it in this photo.
http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/growfaq/1083.html
If this guy were to pop out his rootball he would see nothing but roots on the sides and bottom of the root ball.....guaranteed
If a
plant is in a small pot, the
roots can get
bound up in a ball and prevent the
plant from reaching its true potential. Transferring a
root-bound plant to a new pot will bring new life and growth to your plants.
Roots becoming bound is a problem when too small a pot is used and the plant is not transplanted into a larger one. The growth of a plant that is root bound will be slowed and may cease entirely. Prolonged instances usually result in the slow decline of the plants health until death.
No amount of feeding will correct a rootbound plant and transplant is the only viable course of action. Usually the first symptoms of a plant being root bound is slowed growth, particularily if this does not correspond with the plants normal rate of growth and feeding thresholds. Later signs include the ability to see roots emerging from the top of the soil and out the the drain holes at the base of the pot.
This really becomes a problem during the flowering cycle when the plants potential yeild and potency will suffer greatly if it is rootbound, yet the stress of transplant will as well. This is why I always transplant into a bigger potter about a week prior to cutting the lights
Dude look at my shit......I'm not a newbie.....been at it for well over a decade....pop the ball out or take off the foil.....take a look