Tips for Growing Plants with Healthy Roots

If you’re like most people, you know that plants consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere. Plants are widely known as the planet’s primary oxygen producers. The Amazon rainforest produces about 20% of the world’s oxygen, earning it the nickname “The Lungs of the Earth.” What many people don’t know is that plants breathe oxygen too.

During photosynthesis, plants produce sugars to power their biological processes. To utilize these sugars, every cell in the plant needs access to free oxygen. Most plant roots are adapted to absorb oxygen from surrounding soil. Want to grow healthy plant roots? Delivering oxygen is crucial for success.

Wait! Who Cares About Healthy Roots?

If you want thriving, robust, long-lived plants, YOU DO! Among other things, roots are primarily responsible for absorbing nutrients and moisture from the soil. They also act as a storage compartment for food and vital minerals. Roots circulate nourishment throughout the plant, helping it grow flowers, leaves, fruits and vegetables. Without healthy roots, your plants are in serious trouble. So… how can you keep those roots growing healthy and strong?

Technology to the Fescue. Errr…. Rescue.

Over the last three decades, scientifically proven techniques have emerged for promoting healthy plant roots. One of the most exciting developments is root pruning pots. Unlike their plastic and clay counterparts, these specialized containers are made entirely of fabric. Innovative fabric construction provides benefits unrivaled by traditional materials.

The Benefits of Root Pruning Pots

Moisture Control — Overwatering is the #1 killer of potted plants. Why? Because roots can’t breathe when they’re submerged in water. Fabric pots are permeable to both air and water. This revolutionary property helps them prevent overwatering and deliver optimum moisture to the root zone.

When water is poured across the surface of the soil, it spreads outward to the sides of the pot. Once it reaches the edge of the container, water passes through the fabric and evaporates into surrounding air. That’s a double dose of good news for roots. They get life-sustaining moisture, and they’re protected from drowning.

Air Penetration — Just as moisture constantly flows outward, air constantly flows into root pruning pots. The process delivers vastly greater amounts of oxygen when compared with plastic and clay pots. All that oxygen promotes healthy roots. And healthy roots lead to fitter, faster-growing plants.

Root Pruning — In a plastic or clay pot, plant roots grow toward the boundary of the container. Once there, they begin circling the vessel in search of oxygen-rich soil. But plastic and clay pots aren’t oxygen-permeable. So the roots grow to unhealthy proportions, getting tangled in the process. The result is a root-bound plant that is stressed or dying from lack of nutrition.

In a fabric pot, the process is completely different. When roots approach the edge of a fabric pot, they form dense, finely branched structures. Notably, they do not circle or become root-bound. The process, known as “root pruning,” produces root structures that are perfect for absorbing oxygen, moisture and nutrients. The result is not only healthy plant roots, but a dramatically healthier plant.

Root Pruning Pots:

The Ultimate in Oxygenation

In addition to root pruning and moisture control, fabric pots deliver plentiful oxygen to the root zone. For your growing plants, that’s a breath of fresh air. Fabric pots are scientifically proven to create incredibly healthy roots. With bigger plants and vastly superior yields, the results are simply breathtaking.