Healthy Root System

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Everyone knows how important a healthy root system for a plant is. But do you actually know how to achieve this, how you can recognise healthy roots and what happens if you give too little, too much or water in an inconsistent way?

A Healthy Root System

The roots of a plant can tell you a lot about the health and the state it is in. A healthy root system has the following characteristics:

  • Medium-sized and large whitish roots
  • There should be roots throughout the pot, from top to bottom

Watering

Watering is a very important factor that shapes the development of the roots throughout the pot.

  • Overwatering or watering too frequently; will stifle the development of roots in the lower half of the pot.
  • Underwatering or pots that are not watered frequently enough; will lead to a lot of dead root matter in the upper half of the pot.
  • Inconsistent watering, sometimes too early and sometimes too late; will show lively and healthy roots mostly in the middle layer of the soil in the pot.

When watering always use the 50% watering rule. In the last season of the Need to Know we have explained the 50% watering rule in depth.