Painful Roots

The four little pansy starts are examples of different root systems in pre-started nursery sets.

The left one has pretty good root condition. The middle set has more roots. The third from the left is root bound (little soil and almost totally roots). The one on the right has the roots torn down the middle (by me) on both sides.

The reason to tear the roots down both sides is so they will start growing out and not continue in the circle or current mass. If they continue in the circle, they will not get the nutrients from the new soil and eventually will be stunted or die.

Pulling the roots loose is a good idea with any set. With root bound sets is is a necessity.

Although some growing directions tell you to use potting soil around a plant set, the current thought is either amend all the soil in the bed or don't amend anything. The plant needs to start off growing in the kind of soil it will eventually live within. (The exception is vegetables sets that seldom send out long roots. I make the hole big enough to hold every eventual root.)

A plant that has potting soil in the hole and the rest of the area is not amended will want to live in the potting soil and the roots may simply grow in a circle instead of venturing out in the real world.

This doesn't mean plants should not be fertilized and it does not mean the entire bed or pot should not be amended to improve the nutrients. It does apply to spot digging and no till.

If the plant set is root bound, as in the picture above, it is necessary to cut through them and they will send out new roots from the cut ones. If you do this, you should also prune the green or top portion by cutting off flowers if it's a low growing plant and if it is a tall plant, cut the stalk down to about 6 inches for large plants, two for small ones. Be sure there are leaves still on the plant as these absorb nutrients from the sun.

Annuals should establish new root and start new growth in a few weeks. Perennials may take the entire growing season to put down a good set of roots. This means the first summer you plant the pernnial, it may not be that perfect beauty you want. Still-if you are in it for the long hall-it's giving that plant the best start. If your familiar with Biblical scripture compare to building a house on sand or on a firm foundation. You will be building a strong plant on solid roots.

If the plant is not root bound, but the roots are circling the soil ball, gently coax them out before planting. If they don't coax, cut down two sides with a clean knife.

With all these to-do and to-don'ts, the top picture is a pansy that came up from a discarded seed head (when I was deadheading last year) without the benefit of it knowing it was an annual and not suppose to overwinter nor grow among stone.

Have I ever mentioned "Nature bats last"?

Of course I have and it always proves true.