root loss = smaller pots?
 

I was resently repotting some of my spring bloomers and noticed some root lose. This usually happens because when they bloom i take them out of the greenhouse and display them around the house. Naturally they dry out a bit and loss some roots. Anyway do putting the plants in smaller pots so its more snug for the roots increase root growth?. I done this in the past and I think it works, but maybe the same would happen in a bigger pot?:lol:

Reducing the size of the pot just in and of itself does not encourage root growth.

Reducing pot size reduces the amount of potting media that's in the pot. Which means, that when the plant gets watered, there is less potting media to absorb water. The less water the media absorbs, because there's less potting media, means the plant has less water available to them. In turn, it reduces the chance that the roots get over watered. A reduction in the chance of the roots being over watered = the plant is less likely to get root rot. Lower probability of root rot = healthier and stronger plants.

If the pot size is closer in size to what the plant's root mass really is, it may also mean that there will be more roots to fill in the spaces, and less media to absorb water. Less media to absorb water = less water to contribute to root rot. Lower chances of root rot = more living roots the plant has. More living, healthy roots the plant has = healthier and stronger plants.





To make things clear...


A reduction in pot size does not equal root rot, or vice versa for that matter.

A larger pot in and of itself does not encourage root growth.

A smaller pot in and of itself does not encourage root growth.

I agree with Philip, except in one tiny thing.

On the whole the reason for smaller pots is that the medium dries more quickly therefore less chance of rot, just as Philip has said.

My only slight disagreement is that less water in the media means that the plant has less water available to it. On the face of it that seems obvious and correct... until you take into account the human aspect. I find it actually seems to work out the oposite because the medium dries more quickly I water every couple of days or even every day and the plant actually gets far more water available to it because of the very regular watering than it does in a larger pot where I have to wait a week or maybe two for the medium to fully dry, during which time the medium is holding the water and the roots aren't getting that much of it.

While the roots are getting more water from watering very regularly they are also getting plenty of air because the medium is drying quickly and that combination really helps to get good root growth.

Just my :twocents: