5/28/10

E-mail - white roots coming out of pot



Hey doc,

I have some plants growing and noticed the roots were starting to come out of the bottom drain holes of my pots. Some even have a white fuzz growing on them. Are my plants going to be able to grow ok, and how do I solve this problem?

Hello,
Your plants are getting big for the pots/ container they are in. If your plants are already well into flowering or making fruit you can just keep them in the same pots and make sure they are well watered (not over watered) until the plants are done. The idea is to keep the roots moist and alive and NOT dead  from being dry or in standing water.  Growing in small containers can be done but it requires more attention to detail, similar to hydroponics. I suggest you don’t transplant them if it is late in flowering because this may stress out the plants which causes poor flowering/fruit set. Next time you grow put the plants in bigger pots.  Unless you are confined to a small space  you should give your plants all the room to grow they need.

If your plants are growing vegetativly, you just need to pot them up (put them in the next size pot). I’ll be posting about potting up in the next week or so. If you just have one root coming through you can wait a few more days to pot up. If your plants look like the picture below, pot them up today.
The white fuzz is good; it is most likely root hairs.  Often on the end of roots you find a lot of small little hairs that stick out to give the roots more surface area so that they can absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. White roots are healthy and growing, even more so if they look fuzzy. If you don't put the plants in a new pot the roots will turn brown or tan. This is not necessarily bad but w/out any more space for roots to grow, you plants won't grow or flower at their best.

Good Growing,
Dr. E.R. Myers


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