Roots and trimming

[clumsythumbs]

I am wondering when people trim roots?  I scrolled through some of the discussions on various boards, and could not locate a topic specifically on this.  

The roots on my salad garden are getting pretty prolific.  My hunch is that it is personal preference?  From what I have read, here and there, it seems trim along the bottom (not the sides).... any other tips?  I want to stay on top of keeping the garden tidy, but do not want to be overzealous.  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!

[Shawn]

Roots in general do not have to be trimmed.  On long term projects like peppers I have trimmed them but month beyond.  Flowers grown in my harvest I have also trimmed when the roots were so massive it took over the entire bowl.

Is there a picture of your roots?  They have not been growing all that long so maybe not as bad as you may thing?  Then again I can not remember what unit you are growing in either.

[clumsythumbs]

Feb 2, 2019 5:00:51 GMT -5 Shawn said:

Roots in general do not have to be trimmed.  On long term projects like peppers I have trimmed them but month beyond.  Flowers grown in my harvest I have also trimmed when the roots were so massive it took over the entire bowl.

Is there a picture of your roots?  They have not been growing all that long so maybe not as bad as you may thing?  Then again I can not remember what unit you are growing in either.

Hi Shawn,  thanks for the info...

I was not really sure if root trimming was more of a "certain projects" thing or a routine maintenance thing, so wanted to ask.  Right now, while they are growing and healthy, they are not bad or out of control.  Here is a photo...


2019-02-02_06-49-30 by Aaron Blasyak, on Flickr


I just want to be preemptive and know what to look for.  But it sounds like root trimming is really only something as a project gets further along and it is filling the bowl or impeding on the pump?  

Thanks, again, for the insight and advice!  

[Shawn]

Your roots are fine.  That is nothing compared to some that I have seen.

For all my herbs, peppers and sometimes flowers I turn the pods every day or every couple.  This forms a nice soft ball of roots.  It also helps keep some of the roots from entering the pump.

[MaryL]

I trim when they get so big that they displace the capacity for water in the bowl. I also trim off any slimy roots that may cause a problem.

[clumsythumbs]

Thanks Shawn and MaryL!!! 

That is helpful advice/tips.  I have been turning them here and there, but not really consistently.  I figured the roots were ok, but was not sure if/when one usually does.  But I won't worry about it too much until it seems to be causing an issue!  Thank you 

[Bill]

i find this topic very helpful

[Shawn]

I lifted the deck of my Jalapenos and I should have taken a picture.  While the roots were in a nice ball, they were so big it was lifting the deck up LOL.

I carefully trimmed the ball in my best zen bonsai moves and now my deck sits flat again.

[thegrindre]

I watched a woman change the water, add nutes and trim the roots on YouTube. They were massive. I didn't know trimming roots were necessary so I've learned something here as well.

At 28 days I did the same thing and trimmed my roots on my lettuce garden cuz the roots were starting to grow into one another. Because I've added additional grow lights I like to turn my plants around 180 degrees so both sides get some light. I couldn't do this cuz of the root growth. What I did was trim the sides and 'haircut' off the bottom of them.

Being my first AG garden I'm experimenting so don't know what will happen with the plants with trimmed up roots now. We'll see I guess.

I only trim roots when they are so massive they are about to damage the pump. I also trim when about to transplant so I can get them apart and into the ground. At times they are too entwined with the plastic and I have to just trim them apart from other plants and plant the whole shebang in soil. No harm done, but in general I never trim.

[Shawn]

Like Corinne, I only trim when massive or really in the pump.  As I mentioned somewhere, I HAD to trim my roots no too long ago because they were so bad the deck was actually lifting

Some plants you can damage.  Also root entangling together is not a bad thing nor do you need to cut or untangle.  I also read that trimming too much or often can do damage

[slw]

Does Aerogarden provide any recommendations for trimming roots?  I see "advice" on different forums/websites that is all over the place but I can't find anything on the AG website.   Personally, I never trim roots unless they are massive and getting into the pump or water float.

Seems like this is a topic that could use some clarification, but then again it probably depends on the type of plant being grown. 

[tdse]

Jan 8, 2024 14:39:17 GMT -5 slw said:

Does Aerogarden provide any recommendations for trimming roots?  I see "advice" on different forums/websites that is all over the place but I can't find anything on the AG website.   Personally, I never trim roots unless they are massive and getting into the pump or water float.

Seems like this is a topic that could use some clarification, but then again it probably depends on the type of plant being grown. 

I don't believe Aerogarden provides any guidance in terms of trimming roots - probably because there are so many variables.  For me, having multiple Aerogarden across many many years, there has probably been only one of two times I have ever trimmed roots, and this has been exclusively on very mature pepper plants where the roots are so large and invasive that they would potentially take over the grow bowl/pump.  
I don't see any reason to trim roots on healthy plants, even with a very large root system.  The larger a root system can grow, the larger a plant (as well as its fruit) will become, therefore it seems counterintuitive to trim back the roots.

The only other reason I could see for trimming roots is to trim back any potential root rot (black/slimy roots).

[patlab]

I agree. I can’t remember ever trimming roots. Just be aware the more roots the greater water take up and the possibility of roots clogging the water detector, so you have to manually keep a constant eye on the water level.

[lynnee]

If you trim roots, it's best to find the long roots in the center, and to leave them alone. They are the roots that are most actively growing and taking up water.

This advice is based on my practical experience in transplanting AG seedlings to soil. The plants that don't have one of the longer roots will always take longer to start growing well after transplanting.

[slw]

Jan 9, 2024 10:29:22 GMT -5 tdse said:

I don't see any reason to trim roots on healthy plants, even with a very large root system.  The larger a root system can grow, the larger a plant (as well as its fruit) will become, therefore it seems counterintuitive to trim back the roots.

The only other reason I could see for trimming roots is to trim back any potential root rot (black/slimy roots).

This is exactly what I think, but so often I see recommendations to "keep those roots trimmed!!!" and I can't figure out why.