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What to do with the fertilizer roots? 2 years 11 months ago #67574

  • Albas
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Hello people!

I come with a simple question for those who use organic fertilizers on the top.
As known, the tree roots' will go for the nutrients origin and grow up around the fertilizer bag/pots.

So what should we do with those roots when it's time to replenish/change the fertilizer there?
I heard it's good to change the spot once you gonna refill it, to keep from roots growing same ways,but if you change the spot, what to do with the roots you left behind?

Here's a example...

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What to do with the fertilizer roots? 2 years 11 months ago #67575

  • m5eaygeoff
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Roots will not grow into that. The nutrients are taken in the water that is transported to be used in photosynthesis to produce sugars and starches. Fertiliser is un usable to the plant in the form it is put on the soil

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What to do with the fertilizer roots? 2 years 11 months ago #67582

  • Albas
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Well, if you use castor cake (high nitrogen organic fertilizer) like i did on the top it will, it releases it very slowly, about 2~3 months to do so completly, I just showd' you the picture I took, roots do seek richer spots, that is the ficus roots that grew into those little pots that were filled with it, on all three spots with fertilizer, and it's been there like for 2 months, and it has almost no fert. on the spots...

My question is, should I remove those capilar roots and change the fert. spots?

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What to do with the fertilizer roots? 2 years 11 months ago #67597

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None here ever used this types of organic fertilizers?

I mean, you can't say "roots won't grow into it" when I just showd' you a ball of root that it grew directely into it.

I just want to know, what to do with this roots now that it's time to replenish the fertilizer... Do I prune it and change the spot?

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What to do with the fertilizer roots? 2 years 11 months ago #67601

  • lucR
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You always have to change the spot each time you apply fertiliser. It seems to me you kept your container on the same spot way too long. Nobody experiences root growth in them because we change position regularly ( mine are changed every 3-4 weeks)
I would just cut the roots off, if you change position it won't happen again i think
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What to do with the fertilizer roots? 2 years 11 months ago #67607

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I use granular fertilizer which I spread evenly around the surface and I never have this problem.

I have had a fucus grow roots up into a pot standing on the surface. So yeah, I have seen roots grow up into a favorable spot.
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What to do with the fertilizer roots? 2 years 11 months ago #67608

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Thanks for the responses.

lucR, yes, I think it stood too long at the same spot, it's been almost 2 months, I was planning to move them when replenishing it, but it seems like it must be earlier! I'll remember that. Thanks again!

Thanks leatherback, a fun fact about the Castor Cake is that it's not the best option to spread over the surface, as after a few weeks it makes the top of the soil compacted (only the top, maybe because it's a bit oily), so you'll have to rake the top, to water to flow normally tru' it. I mean, you can do it, but it's easier to control that with bags or little baskets/pots.
And talking about favorable spots, I find it amazing how roots behave.
Charles Darwin in analogy once wrote that the tips of plant roots are like the brains of plants. Roots sense the environment. They sense the water, where there are more nutrients, and they go for these resources. Roots are the "smartest" part of the plant.

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Last edit: Post by Albas.
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