Why You Should Check for Root Coverings When Buying a Plant

Looking to expand your indoor plant collection? There’s something you need to look out for when purchasing plants, whether from a grocery store shelf or your local nursery. 

Your plant is likely situated in a plastic pot, either exposed or inside a planter. If you’ve just been dropping your plants directly into a ceramic pot without examining the plastic nursery pot first, you might be missing a key factor of your plant’s health: its roots.

Find out why you should always check the roots of your houseplant before purchasing it—this will avoid heartache later.

Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best-growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more!

Why You Should Check the Roots Before Buying a Plant

Many nurseries, plant stores, and even grocery stores will grow or source plants that use root mesh or landscape fabric inside of their plant pots. You’ll likely encounter many different types of root bindings, from plastic cages to mesh grids. 

These cages surround the inside of your plant’s container. They encircle the potted dirt and roots of your plants, keeping them tightly bound inside of the plastic container.

Nurseries will often use this fabric to keep plants safe from weeds, protect the roots as they’re moved around, and make it easier to repot plants as they grow. 

But these kinds of root restrictors can significantly harm your plant’s growth. Not only will it stunt root development, it can even increase the risk of root rot or mold growing inside of your plant’s soil. 

How to Figure Out If Your Plant Has Root Mesh

Sometimes, it can be difficult to determine whether or not your plant has root mesh on it. You can try using your finger to feel around the edges of the inside of the plastic plant pot.

Some plant stores will use mesh, dark-colored landscape fabric that can be hard to spot, or—worst of all for your plant—plastic. You might also notice a section of your plant in a plastic root cage, which you can remove. 

• Take the plant out of its plastic pot.
• Move your plant outdoors for less mess (or, if you’re inside, over a bin, bag, or surface you don’t mind spilling dirt on).
• With the fabric holding the dirt and roots inside your pot in place, it should be fairly easy to take the plant out of its plastic pot. You can try turning it sideways and gently sliding or squeezing it out. 
• If you’re planning on repotting your plant entirely, you can also cut the plastic pot open to remove the plant inside.
• Once your plant has been removed from the pot, simply remove the protective covering from the roots of your plant. 

Look Out for Other Root Coverings, Too

Additionally, look out for biodegradable root coverings when shopping at a nursery. Though this may sound like a good thing, the biodegradable coverings don’t degrade quickly enough to save your plant.

You may find them partially degraded upon removing your plant from its pot, so you’ll need to carefully look through the dirt to make sure all of the pieces are removed.

Don’t make the mistake of leaving this kind of covering on your plant, as it can still cause the same issues other types of root protectors will.