You need a jungle in your room so that herbal cleaning power has the necessary effect! One could assume. This is not the case if you look at the task radically, i.e. from the roots. As a reminder: air-purifying plants swallow a lot of harmful substances through their roots, significantly more than through their leaves. What happens in the soil or in the plant pot is quite exciting - which is why we take a closer look.
Mini apartment or loft
Researchers in Jülich compared 65 independent studies on the subject of plant growth in pots and found: Larger containers allow larger plants to sprout. Images using magnetic resonance imaging show how roots feel the boundaries of their living space. It is unclear how they pass on the results of the underground measurement upwards - in any case, the plant knows about it and adapts its growth accordingly.
Rules underground
Roots have two stages of development, each with one main task: The fine root absorbs water and nutrients with the root hairs at its tip. The coarse root anchors the plant firmly in the ground.
Unlike in a limited pot, roots can develop freely in nature, but adapt to the conditions in the soil. By the way, there are fixed rules that apply to them underground that protect against drought, lack of nutrients, erosion, other plants and predators:
- Grow until you can't go any further!
- If you come across an obstacle, grow around it!
- If you can't go any further, stop growing at the top and form new roots!
- Grow away from the origin, never go back there!
- Grow where it's moist and cool!
Such a maze!
Back in the plant pot: its resident behaves as if it were thriving in the wild. The roots hit the impenetrable wall, try to avoid the obstacle and inevitably grow along the inner wall. The result: almost endless ring roots form - an effort that is absolutely ineffective and weakens the plant.
Because the way through the ring root is long; it takes time for food to reach the top; if the root tip even finds any! The root ball hugs the edge of the pot, but nutrients and microorganisms live in the substrate. The plant needs a larger home as soon as possible so that it doesn't starve!
Moving plans
Before you repot a plant with ring roots into a larger container, you should announce this to her: Break up a small part of the roots so that they sprout new roots at the break point instead of continuing to grow ineffectively in a circle.
No matter how much you care for your green favorites, the realization remains: millions of plants live in pots that make life difficult for their residents. How can you make it clear to roots that they should not curl around the edge of the pot but rather use the entire space?
Air cut
The answer to this question lies in underground rule 3: If you can't go any further, stop growing at the top and form new roots!
In the wild, the root tip dies when it encounters an insurmountable obstacle; Further back, new fine roots form. The good news: There is something that makes plants behave the same way in pots, namely contact with air!
Air pruning prevents roots from growing in circles around the edge of the container and encourages them to branch out again. This process is repeated so that a densely branched root system with many root tips and fine roots is created throughout the substrate.
Live better
Air has to reach the roots, which unfortunately closed pots do not allow. Luckily, products can be reinvented! In this case, a container that ventilates the root ball. This is also good for the microclimate in the substrate, because beneficial bacteria and fungi prefer an airy soil. The fine roots are encouraged to spread evenly throughout the substrate and can use water and nutrients efficiently. And: You get access to pollutants that are known to pollute our indoor air!
Voilà: the plant-friendly AIRY pot
What does it have that other pots don't have? In short: It ensures that your plants
- thrive magnificently
- optimally clean the room air
- be watered when you are traveling
And he looks good too! You don't need any complex technology, neither electricity nor filters, just a plant, mineral substrate and our pot.
