Surface Roots Exposed

[SmokingWings]

You can tell watering style differences between all these plants with visible roots.

Yep.

Thanks @jaybirdz The plant was just recently uppotted into the 20 gal from a 5 and went from a 2 to a 5 before that, the soil should of been loose. There were a few green roots before the last transplant, after they just grew and greened up fast. Previously I would get a few green top roots, never a cluster like this. I topwater slowly, but let the water puddle on top.

My theory is that when you started watering there was enough of a flow that it started to push the loose soil around. If you water so that the stream coming from a watering can or hose hits mostly around the stem then it will be easy for the soil mix to be pushed towards the sides and that exposes the surface roots.

Mostly, though, I think that the plant should have been planted deeper so that there was a half inch or even one inch of new soil over the top of the root ball.

I have the same issue each year, when I dump the pots at the end they often seem to be all root. Never really affected my crop though!

Have you ever slowly pulled the stem and root mass out of the container so it does not fall apart? Then slowly start to take apart that mass of roots? When I do I it is easy to see that most of the roots have grown all around the edges right up against the pot. The center of the mass tends to have a lot fewer roots growing there.

 

[stinker]

Yep.


My theory is that when you started watering there was enough of a flow that it started to push the loose soil around. If you water so that the stream coming from a watering can or hose hits mostly around the stem then it will be easy for the soil mix to be pushed towards the sides and that exposes the surface roots.

Mostly, though, I think that the plant should have been planted deeper so that there was a half inch or even one inch of new soil over the top of the root ball.


Have you ever slowly pulled the stem and root mass out of the container so it does not fall apart? Then slowly start to take apart that mass of roots? When I do I it is easy to see that most of the roots have grown all around the edges right up against the pot. The center of the mass tends to have a lot fewer roots growing there.

I've pulled the mass apart in plastic pots. No matter how big the pot there are usually roots circling it. With the fabric it looks more like honeycomb.