How to Transfer Root Bound Plants Into a Garden

Hi, I’m David Epstein. This is Growing Wisdom. We’ve got a quick tip for you whether your planting trees, shrubs, even perennials, any else for that matter. When there growing in the container very often, you get this. Look at the roots here. Look how the roots have grown and the shape of the container. If I would to plant this on the ground, the roots are going to continue to grow round and round and round and eventually would actually choke the plant.

It’s very important when you see something like this that you loosen the roots sub-significantly so they make great contact with the soil. I literally break up the roots so that they’re no longer growing in that round shape. If you can't do with your hand, you can always use a cultivator.

Now these roots are going to grow down into the soil and not around like there were on the pot. This will give it a much better survival rate.

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