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greentoe357

roots want out of the pot

greentoe357
10 years ago

I do not see pics similar to this anywhere, so I've got to ask. Have any of you experienced clivia roots wanting out of the medium like this? I've read in one place online that roots visible on the surface is normal, and some people mentioned they plant them relatively high, so the roots are just under or even on the surface. But this is different. Seems like the roots have reached the bottom but are still growing, with the only way out is literally OUT of the medium.

This plant did the exact same thing before. The roots grew very vigorously in a pot like this (http://www.containerstore.com/catalogimages/135695/ZigZagPotLgLme10033163_x.jpg) to the point where the plant started raising its whole self very visibly from out of the pot. When I lifted the roots to see what was happening, I saw that because of the structure of the pot and strength of the roots, they would find the wall of the pot, and then they would go straight down (couldn't circle because of those zig-zagged walls), and when they reached the bottom, the plant would literally raise itself up on its root tippy-toes like a ballerina, leaving the mix underneath. Too bad I did not take a picture then - it looked very unusual.

So, my questions are:
Is this normal? Should I leave it to its own devices for now or repot? If repotting, now or later? This is an 8-inch diameter pot. I just recently set it onto the coldest window sill in the apartment to induce flowers for the first time (the plant has 17 leaves).
When repotting, should I trim the roots somehow or direct them somewhere in order to discourage this growing habit? I actually like how it looks, except I do not know if it's healthy for the plant.

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