Roots atop the soil, problem?

So I have like a total of three roots sitting above my soil line in my 7 gallon smart pot. I wanna add that these pots aren't filled up all the way. from soil line to top of pot I have like 6 inches. maybe more or less. I did this to leave room for a top dress, if and when needed.

I've done some research and like always I see one person saying it's good, leave them exposed for the fact that they're coming up for air and that eventually they brown up and harden off and it'll be beneficial to the rest of the roots cause it'll help pass O2. Supposedly the flow of O2 will be better.

I've read that it could be from watering where the roots are a little heavy and compacting the soil. Also that it could be from over watering and in turn they're growing up to get oxygen.

And I've also read that a good top dress mix or mulch mix could help just to cover the roots and fill the pots or course. and I read that a top dress is bad because if I do it, it could basically suffocate the roots that are showing. (I get how this coincides with over watering and them coming up for O2)

Also read that they can be root bound. I have a total of 4 and they're all about the same size and I haven't noticed root on the others. lately I have been watering more closer to the center of the stem. how can i tell if they're root bound in a smart pot?

which is true and what do you suggest I do? leave them exposed, or top dress them with some peat ewc with kelp, and perlite? or any other mix that I can put together?

my plants are about 1 foot and some tall.

here is a pic



LMK!!

I am in 5gal smartpots in coco/perlite and some of my roots are surfacing as well. My plants are about 20 inches and a week in to flower. I have a lot of root tips poking out of the pots at the bottom as well. My roots dont look like yours though, they are white and I just brush the coco over them once in a while. This is my first grow so not sure if ok or bad but hopefully someone in the know will chime in as I am curious as well.

nomoresnow said:

I am in 5gal smartpots in coco/perlite and some of my roots are surfacing as well. My plants are about 20 inches and a week in to flower. I have a lot of root tips poking out of the pots at the bottom as well. My roots dont look like yours though, they are white and I just brush the coco over them once in a while. This is my first grow so not sure if ok or bad but hopefully someone in the know will chime in as I am curious as well.

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I think my roots are already hardening off cause they're turning brown and looking wood like, like my stem.

also any pics of those babies? would like to see.

You can protect those roots with a much layer which will encourage more feeding roots to form at the top, leading to healthier plants.

Andrew2112 said:

You can protect those roots with a much layer which will encourage more feeding roots to form at the top, leading to healthier plants.

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where do.I get mulch? walmart sells mulch like red mulch and shit like that. would that work? or should I go to a nursery and tell them I need mulch for my avocado tree? lol and tell them the same issue I'm having just replace marijuana with avocado? lol

How come Noone is asking what in the hell is on your leaves? And just put dirt overrrrit

wiethe20 said:

How come Noone is asking what in the hell is on your leaves? And just put dirt overrrrit

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lmfao id you ever had a hell of an infestation you would know. it's DE!

I wasnt sure if that was DE of me seeing it wrong

bankcee said:

where do.I get mulch? walmart sells mulch like red mulch and shit like that. would that work? or should I go to a nursery and tell them I need mulch for my avocado tree? lol and tell them the same issue I'm having just replace marijuana with avocado? lol

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Shredded bark mulch will work, just avoid walnut and cedar. Straw, leaves (from your plants), compost, and cacao shells can be used as mulch.

Surface roots are common on all plants.

I think you may have more going on than just root education ...look to that Pm(white shit on your leaves, its not fatal but regular application of neem oil will fix this, reduce water in your air and keep the place like hospital clean ...at least for the duration, as for the pots ...fill them up, and yeah roots often surface for some fresh air...rots need that too

vostok said:

I think you may have more going on than just root education ...look to that Pm(white shit on your leaves, its not fatal but regular application of neem oil will fix this, reduce water in your air and keep the place like hospital clean ...at least for the duration, as for the pots ...fill them up, and yeah roots often surface for some fresh air...rots need that too

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the white stuff isn't pm. it's diatomaceous earth that I used trying to fight my infestation of who knows what the hell? they were everywhere and they were everything lol I'm gonna clean my leaves here in a couple of days. to get the DE of my leaves.

Kind Sir said:

I wasnt sure if that was DE of me seeing it wrong

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huh? yes it's just de lol

Andrew2112 said:

Shredded bark mulch will work, just avoid walnut and cedar. Straw, leaves (from your plants), compost, and cacao shells can be used as mulch.

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why avoid cedar and walnut? they bad?

is there a bad mulch for cannabis? or is just one better than the other?

DE in Eu is orange or red ...lol avoid as a buddy of mine died token that shit with weed, once in your lungs ...its for good, then the blood comers up with each cough...avoid

vostok said:

DE in Eu is orange or red ...lol avoid as a buddy of mine died token that shit with weed, once in your lungs ...its for good, then the blood comers up with each cough...avoid

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avoid the DE? or avoid cede and walnut mulch? lol

You can use a layer of Coco fiber as a mulch also.....
Straw, Hay
Comfrey and stinging Nettle leaf will deliver long term N in slow, small amounts and work as the mulch at the same time.

Infestation of what?

Dr. Who said:

You can use a layer of Coco fiber as a mulch also.....
Straw, Hay
Comfrey and stinging Nettle leaf will deliver long term N in slow, small amounts and work as the mulch at the same time.

Infestation of what?

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idk I tried my hardest to figure out what these damn things are. so I just bombed them. the things I used were organic. so I knew I had something and figured these will take care of a army of different things. spinosad and DE. I believe I had some sort of sucking insect as I was getting holes in my fan leaves and was unsure. I even thought I had spider mites cause there were webs. turned out to be another spider but that was after my couple treatments of spinosad. and gnats or winged aphids lol

Add some soil to cover the roots, dont use mulch wood chips etc indoor, it makes the soil acid and can make the pot hold water too long. Next time transplant deeper.

*BUDS said:

Add some soil to cover the roots, dont use mulch wood chips etc indoor, it makes the soil acid and can make the pot hold water too long. Next time transplant deeper.

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I'm outdoors so would mulch or wood chips be fine? am I just not to use them indoor?

and yeah will do next time man. it's in my COE.