My poor string of bananas is so rootbound I’m at a loss about what to do. I’ve dealt with rootbound plants before but have never had one this bad to the point where I’m not able to tease the roots apart – they are so compacted and so thin that there’s no way to separate/loosen them. The roots just rip.
I water it on a consistent cycle of every week or two depending on the weather (outdoor). I’ve noticed for a while that it seemed to be struggling to absorb nutrients and the bananas were more shriveled than they should be, and I was adjusting water/light/food. For some reason it took me forever to check the roots.
I don’t know how to fix this. Make vertical cuts? Cut off part of the base? I’m going to repot of course, but I need to do something to allow new growth because it essentially has itself in a chokehold.
by deedsypoof
7 Comments
Cut off the bottom half of the root ball
have you tried soaking it in water for half an hour and then gently massaging the root ball to try and loosen it up?
You could try soaking it in a bucket for a day or so, then blast the roots with the hose and see if that works to loosen them.. but honestly, whenever this happens to me, I just hack the fuck out of it lol get some long utility scissors and go to town. Just cut the rootball back to where the thicker roots are, (or as far as you feel comfortable) mainly on the sides. Succulents generally recover from root pruning pretty well, just make sure the substrate you use when repotting is dry and give it roughly 5-7 days or so before watering. If you can get your hands on some seaweed concentrate, use it at about half strength with your first water. I use it when repotting *all* of my plants and it’s amazing stuff for preventing transplant shock and helping the plant settle.
If you put it in some water, like in a bucket, it might help you to ease the roots apart.
You could also plant it as-is in a large pot and bottom water for a while, which helps aeration and can stimulate root growth. If you’re worried about the roots in the center of the root ball I would focus on loosening the very bottom of the ball, or trimming it up/cutting it open a bit. This will allow you to do the least amount of damage to the existing roots (since you’re focusing on the parts farthest from the plant), and give them equal space to grow. When you repot you could gently fan them out and place dirt over top, since you mentioned they rip so easily.
Fork
Cut an inch or two off the bottom with a hand saw. Then saw 4 sides.
You’re going to risk slowing your plant growth down a lot by trying to bust open that root ball.
Cut the bottom 1/4th off, and then take a razor blade and cut vertically (bottom to top / top to bottom) every 3 inches or so, or 4-5 vertical cuts.
This will help promote root growth. Just plant it in a pot that’s an inch bigger than what it is now and you’ll be good to go.