THE TRUTH ABOUT ROOT PORN
People just can't seem to get enough of this mostly hidden aspect of owning house plants
Roots under the soil are a lot like private bits under our clothes. It's a big part of the individual and a complete mystery until the pot's removed.
As with bodies, every root system is unique and people can't get enough of looking at these rarely seen bare bottoms.
The virtual world makes sharing these images easy, and due to popular demand, the proliferation of these images is a trend known as root porn.
If you search “root porn” on Facebook, every online plant group I know shows up with a dedicated thread, and they're often some of the most popular posts.
In fact, there's one public group founded solely on this fascination called “Oh yeah, THAT'S definitely root porn” with about 6,500 members.
Root porn exposes the underside of plants in all conditions.
Water propagation is all about forcing new roots from plant cuttings and, in a transparent environment, it's can be an attractive display.
Others show threaded masses in thick spirals that hold their shape once removed from a pot. These plants have become root bound, an extreme condition that threatens the plant's survival, captivating much like disasters can be.
And when we do find our plants are root bound, it's a green light for the satisfying endeavour of repotting our green pals in fresh soil creating room for more growth — a practice to show off on its own.
While looking at these images is harmless fun, allowing our plants to become root bound isn't ideal for most species, although a few — hoyas are famous for it — actually thrive in this condition.
Unlike in their natural environments where roots can push forth as far as the earth allows, indoor plants are raised in constricting containers where we manage and manipulate their surroundings while they mature.
Growing roots eventually contact the pot's inflexible walls and some find their way out of drainage holes, most must detour and contort.
Around and around they go, following the hard, plastic surface while searching for extra space. If left like this, the growing roots will eventually displace soil to make room for themselves, tangling and intertwining until there is literally nowhere else to go.
Here are some signs your plant is root bound and ready for a new home:
You're having to water more often because there are more roots fighting to absorb every drop they're given.
When you pick up the plastic insert and look underneath, roots will have escaped and are exposed (not always a sign of being root bound, but definitely ready for a bigger pot).
Roots that have nowhere else to go start showing on the surface. I neglected a clivia to the point where dirt was almost imperceivable.
Many people like to repot new plants as soon as they bring them home, but unless there's a suspicion of pests or fungus in the soil, wait until the plant has outgrown its pot.
This is also an ideal time to split up growth and cut off pups that are crowding the mother plant, often with their own new root systems already developing.
To see more images and find links to more root porn, find this story online in the LIFE section of edmontonjournal.com.
I've been documenting my plant journey as Jenny Eff on Instagram, feel free to follow along @ effin_plants.