Attention plant lovers! If you want your plants to grow strong and healthy, you should pay attention not only to the visible greenery, but also to the invisible, but equally important, root system. In this article, you'll learn how to naturally positively influence the root growth of your houseplants.
What tasks do roots have?
The roots of a plant are among its main organs and are responsible for absorbing and transporting water and nutrients from the soil. The larger and healthier the root system, the better the plant can absorb these vital resources. Furthermore, the roots provide a plant with stability, acting like an anchor. They consist of a main root and several branches, called secondary roots. These are covered with fine root hairs that increase the surface area.
How to stimulate root growth
Correct location: Make sure your plant is in the right location. Each plant species has different requirements for light, moisture, and temperature. Warm soil leads to a significant increase in root growth.
Suitable soil: Use high-quality potting soil tailored to your houseplant's needs. Well-draining soil allows the roots to spread easily. A larger pore volume, and thus a higher air capacity in the soil, is important, as the root system also needs oxygen. The soil pH must also be balanced so the roots can absorb nutrients from the soil.
Our FARBIO® soil improver is a natural and effective additive for your soil. Its special formula with humic acids optimizes the soil, improving nutrient uptake and promoting plant growth.
Fertilizer: Provide your plants with all the essential major and micronutrients to ensure healthy root system development and the entire houseplant. FARBIO® NPK organic liquid fertilizer for foliage plants is ideal for providing your plants with the essential major nutrients, thus promoting long-term, healthy development.
Your plant needs nutrients for the roots to grow
The substances vital to plants can be divided into two groups: major nutrients (macronutrients) and trace elements (micronutrients). Oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon are essential for plant growth. Your green roommate can only truly thrive with a supply of all major and micronutrients . However, some nutrients have a direct impact on the formation of the root system: phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, for example. Boron is also needed for root cell division.
Promote root growth in offshoots / cuttings
Propagating houseplants from cuttings is a great way to expand your plant collection. First, cut a healthy stem from the parent plant. Make sure it has at least one or two pairs of leaves. But how do you root this cutting? You can place the cutting in a glass of water, wait, and change the water regularly. You can also plant it directly in the soil, but the risk of rot is higher.
Many houseplants produce offshoots, essentially miniature copies. These can be formed from the main stem, as with Pilea, or from shoots, as with spider plants. These offshoots usually already have small root buds. You can easily separate them from the parent plant and plant them directly in soil or place them in water if root formation, especially the development of lateral roots, is not yet sufficient.
Home remedy: Cinnamon on the root tips
Cinnamon can help promote healthy roots—the spice has natural antimicrobial properties and can thus reduce the risk of root rot. Our tip: Applying cinnamon or root powder to the root tip can help promote root growth. After two to three weeks, the first roots will appear. Once they're a few centimeters tall, the little plant is ready for potting.
Promote root formation by repotting
Regularly repotting your houseplants is important. The ideal time to do so is during the growth phase in spring.
Choose a larger pot: Choose a slightly larger pot than the current one so that the roots have more room to grow.
Careful repotting: Carefully remove the plant from its old pot and loosen the root ball slightly to prevent twisting roots from forming. If the roots twist too much in the pot, they will slowly die.
Fresh soil: Plant the plant in fresh potting soil or a homemade substrate and press it down lightly. Water thoroughly.
