It's All in the Roots - How Stronger Roots Result in Healthier Plants and Trees

It's All in the Roots - How Stronger Roots Result in Healthier Plants and Trees

Many plants and trees live to old age, but what happens to those that don't?

You may have realized that some of the trees, shrubs and plants you've planted that were grown in nurseries and garden centers die in only a few years after planting in the ground. Sometimes, you will plant a tree only to have it wither and die a year or two later. While trees can succumb to disease and while poor soil can take a few years off a plant's life, most plants die early because they literally starve to death. Their root systems are just not developed properly and weren't grown the right way. And the way the were grown - in standard plastic pots - is the culprit.

 Why Circling Roots Are the Enemy

Dr. Carl Whitcomb, a leading horticulturist, former professor at Oklahoma State University, published author, researcher and holder of 26 patents, discovered that how root systems are grown early in the life of a plant can make the difference between a plant that lives a long, full life and one that dies prematurely. 

His research discovered something profound:  the biggest single contributor to early death was a root system dominated by circling roots.

Circling roots occur when the container in which the plant is grown is improperly designed. The roots continue to grow unchecked so that they eventually begin to circle around themselves. This creates a weakened root system that can't get enough nutrients to sustain the plant when it's transplanted from the container into the ground.

It's clear that circling roots are the enemy of any homeowner, gardener, landscaper or horticulturist. These roots are weak, underdeveloped and incapable of giving the plant the life-sustaining nutrients it needs - all because of the way they were grown.

How the Container Makes the Difference

Standard growing containers, like the ones you see in nurseries and garden centers all over the country, don't do anything to properly develop strong, fibrous root systems. The right container, however, can make all the difference because it can develop a healthy, non-circling root system in those crucial early stages of a plant's growth. These containers are specially designed to keep root growth in check in a healthy way through something called air-root pruning.

What is Air-Root Pruning

Dr. Whitcomb discovered that by carefully pruning roots as they grow, you can avoid the tangled mess of circling roots, thereby, giving each root the space it needs to grow bigger, stronger and more capable of delivering nutrients.

The process is called air-root pruning. It happens in specially designed containers that us air to wither the tips of the roots as they grow through openings in the container. When a root tip is exposed to air, it dries up and dies. This keeps the root from growing too long, just as you would prune a bush to keep it from getting out of control.

Because the tips are pruned, their growth is controlled. This allows them to get bigger and more robust. They can then absorb more nutrients as they develop. This in turn makes it more likely that the plant will survive transplantation and more likely that the plant will live a long, full life once it's planted into the ground.

Air-root pruning can save your plant's life and save your wallet from avoiding wasting money on expensive plants that will have to be replaced in a few short years.

Turn to the RootMaker System

The RootMaker System is a comprehensive system of specially designed containers and growth kits that use air-root pruning to develop plants the healthy way, from seedlings to mature plants ready for transplantation.

The RootMaker System builds fibrous root systems that are stronger and more robust than the circling root systems created by standard containers. These roots can better endure transplantation and ensure that more of the root is taken when the plant is transferred into the ground. RootMaker users report that their trees and plants live longer, are healthier and last cost less over the lifespan of the plant because they don't have to be replaced nearly as often.

RootMaker customers are individuals who are serious about their gardening and horticulture. They believe in using RootMaker containers to grow stronger root systems because they know it all starts in the roots and healthy roots can be the difference between life and death.


4 comments

  • Charles

    Trying to grow oaks from seed. Started with 18 prop tray (2 mo) went to 8" bag in cinder blocks. Do you go in stages of root trapper or can I go straight to tall 5 gal for a tree that is going to be big?? I want to put in ground next year probably fall?

  • Joanne Smith

    What type of air pruning container would you recommend for growing paw paw plants? For the Hampton Master Gardener plant sale I start the seeds in Cone -tainers and then transfer to 3×8 tree pots. We sell them in the fall 2 years after transferring up to tree pot.

  • Everett

    Amazingly written blog! I must see with my tree removal company what I should do in my environment and with my trees to make them stronger.

  • Richard Stuart Gilbert

    Please add a Subscribe feature to your blog!

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