Pulling plants to look at roots

[HAROBUILT]

Has anybody ever pulled there plant out of the pot just to look at the roots? Is that a bad idea? I know I do it when I up pot but if im just curious on what the roots are doing is putting it back in the same pot not good?

 

[Janluna]

I don’t recommend it all, but who’s stopping you. This is all one big experiment anyways lol. Im sure you can put it back in the same pot and re-use the same dirt (assuming all is good with soil and plant heath). Which also begs the question, why? Is your baby okay?

Either way if end up doing it, you’re are risking shock that the plant may not be able to recuperate from.

 

[HAROBUILT]

Ya its just out of curiosity I wanted to see what there doing right now and when I water them but ohhhh I just thought about clear pots or wait is that bad to because the light?

 

[HAROBUILT]

I won't do it if its going to shock them its not that important to me lol.

 

[Janluna]

Ya its just out of curiosity I wanted to see what there doing right now and when I water them but ohhhh I just thought about clear pots or wait is that bad to because the light?

Roots hate light. But try shaking off the dirt off the roots after harvest! Then you can look at em’ all you want without any consequences

 

[Sueet]

I use double containers, plant in clear, then put that inside of an opaque one. That way you can lift it out and see the roots without affecting them in any significant way.

I only do this while they are very small.

 

[Janluna]

I use double containers, plant in clear, then put that inside of an opaque one. That way you can lift it out and see the roots without affecting them in any significant way.

I only do this while they are very small.

Great idea!

 

[HAROBUILT]

Oh ya there you go ya some way to cover the light that way I can see what they do when I water and feed and different things.

 

[013]

yup and it’s easily done in plastic or hardside containers…. support the soil around the plant stem and tilt container to upside down position and slide the pot off the back…

be prepared to quickly slide the pot back on if the soil begins to fall apart, but ditto Sueet on clear cups for seedlings

not so easy in fabric smart pots but we’ve got a method for that too

 

[SmokingWings]

Has anybody ever pulled there plant out of the pot just to look at the roots?

Yes, someone asked a similar question about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Maybe a little bit more than 4 weeks or a bit less than 3 but their question was really close to what you are asking.

Is that a bad idea?

Not necessarily a bad idea. Pulling the plant out to look at the roots helps us to learn a bit more about the way these plants grow. If a grower does it often enough they eventually should be able to look at the part of their plant that is above the soil line and have a good of what it will look like below.

Some plants of any type do not tolerate being removed and replaced. At the moment I am thinking of the auto-flower Cannabis ones since even basic transplanting seems to stunt them often enough.

I know I do it when I up pot but if im just curious on what the roots are doing is putting it back in the same pot not good?

If all you are doing is looking at the roots and if the soil did not fall off then putting it back in the same pot will not make much difference.

If the soil fell off the root mass then remember to replace the soil. Use the soil that fell off or new soil. Actually, if you have gone far enough to have removed the plant then might as well transplant to the next size pot while you are at it.

I do see an advantage to doing it a few times. It will help build a sense of what needs to be done at transplanting time and lets the grower develop a sense of being comfortable and confident when it comes to transplanting. We often see growers panic when they knock over a potted plant while a grower that has developed a bit of confidence will do what needs to be done without being afraid.

They are your plants and you are in charge.

 

[skirk]

I do a medium and root evaluation at 3-4 weeks from sprout.

 

[Janluna]

I do a medium and root evaluation at 3-4 weeks from sprout.

Interesting. What are the benefits of this process?

 

[Jaz]

I do it regularly ... but only to check to see if there is a rootball.

Hours after watering I'll place the stem in between my fingers and tip the plant in pot, upside down, I may poke the soil through the bottom holes to get it to dislodge.

While upside down in my hand, I'll check to see if the roots have reached the perimeter of the soil ball or if there is a root ball and I'll then place the pot back over it and turn it the right way up again.
Depending on what I see I'll either leave it in the pot or if there is a good rootball, I'll then up-pot to a larger size.

I won't disturb the soil... as much as I can.

The clear cup within an opaque cup is a good idea.

j

 

[SmokingWings]

I do a medium and root evaluation at 3-4 weeks from sprout.

Looks like it started off in a peat pot. What the photo shows is that the peat pot or whatever decomposed as the roots were actively pushing through the sides. Your photo is proof that properly planted there is not much of a problem in using the peat pots.

 

[skirk]

Looks like it started off in a peat pot. What the photo shows is that the peat pot or whatever decomposed as the roots were actively pushing through the sides. Your photo is proof that properly planted there is not much of a problem in using the peat pots.

Actually it's a Jiffy Pellet and to be honest, I remove the netting, top and bottom, so as not to impede the radicle emerging.

 

[skirk]

Interesting. What are the benefits of this process?

I check to make sure my fungus gnat infestation hasn't returned.

 

[Dwight Monk]

Looks like it started off in a peat pot. What the photo shows is that the peat pot or whatever decomposed as the roots were actively pushing through the sides. Your photo is proof that properly planted there is not much of a problem in using the peat pots.

Only issue I have had with the peat plug things is they don't always come thru the screen looking part right. But that like one out of the 20 of those I had done, so could have just been a weaker plant and it made a couple circles then broke thru it by looks of it when I transplanted to pot. I quit using them only because was hard to find happy medium between dry and too wet, I'm back to just re-purposing plastic yogurt cups filled with my soil I'm using and one less transplant that way.

 

[SmokingWings]

Only issue I have had with the peat plug things is they don't always come thru the screen looking part right.

I can't remember ever having that problem but I stopped using the netted ones and the plain no-net peat plugs years ago for any sort of seed. It was just way to expensive when I could plant just about anything in a patch of tilled and loose soil in the garden and transplant from there.

Though I can understand wanting to remove that piece of netting. Young plants are not the smartest form of multi-celled life out there..