Roots

[Pure]

ok here is a simple one for you all as I went ot check on my plants today I relised that theri roots have grown out of the holes in the pots and are now floating in my tray I use to catch the water that drips out now I was just wondering what I should do is this a sign that my pots are not big enough ( using 10inch round pots) or are my roots gonna go down to here as a natural growth pattern and not a problem ? the good news is the roots seem to look like they are in great condition

[Pure]

just an bit of additional info I tested one of the pots this morning and they hold 11 liters of water I do have the medium about 3/4 of an inch bellow the top of the pot so there is really only about 9ltrs of medium in there can I ask what difference this makes? I should also mention that there are ALLOT of roots comming out of the holes of two plants and both of these plants have started a pattern of drooping leaves starting around 12-14 hours into their lighting period \the always bounce back buy morning morning though , one of them has done this as a pattern longer than I have been able to see the roots so it may not be conected but could the roots be drowning in the tray I empty it daily buy sypering it down a drain and always try not to let it fill up to much Edited June 1, 2004 by Pure

[Tom]

The roots are just following the nutrient trail, this is common in pot plants and as long as they do not clog up your drainage holes the plants will be ok, they do need darkness though so if they are exposed to strong light it would be a good idea to cover them.

 

[Pure]

thanx for that tom the pots still seem to be draining well but I will keep my eye on it closely . darkness hmm that could be an issue without blocking drainage flow unless I was to put something in the tub that was elevated a bit so it sits above the drainage holes can you sugest anything ? and do you think this could be the reason for the drooping leaves ? Edited June 1, 2004 by Pure

[Tom]

Additional.

 

could the roots be drowning in the tray I empty it daily buy sypering it down a drain and always try not to let it fill up to much

As long as it is not getting more than a 1 - 2cm deep I would leave it, the roots have come out of the pots chasing it and will suck it up as needed from there, still drain it about once or twice a week though as the nutrients would have become depleted by then.

 

[OldmanMozz]

if ya was bit worried you could stick al-foil on top of roots, will block out light, but im with Tom not really prob (maybe bigger pots ) but yeah nothin drastic.

cheers an cones Mozz

[Tom]

How about getting some black plastic (thick) or Panda film, cutting some pot sized holes in it and supporting that over the tray, or another tray the same as the other with pot sized holes cut into the bottom and sit it upside-down like a lid over the other tray.

 

[Pure]

Those both sound like good ideas thanx guys I think I will go for the panda so I don't get hotspots thankyou both for your help and input though is there anything I should use to oxygenate the water thats in the tray

[Luke Skywalker]

You could add an airstone and airpump, but honestly, I'd say just repot up and remove the roots which have developed in the water filled area before doing so.

 

If you can't repot, then yeah, I'd start thinking about keeping light away from the tray and roots which develop in it, as well as using an airstone to oxygenate the water.