Interesting Article From The Bbc On Potted Plants

[ckmullin]

'Stunted' pot plants cannot reach full potential

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/18612661

"Plants grown in pots never reach their full potential, images of their roots show."

[Sprucegruve]

Not true,you can easily change to a bigger pot every month if you want to be ridicules and not limit your plants growth

I see where they are coming from,but if you never let the roots hit a stopping point there will be no limits.

Also proper growing conditions must be given,along with proper plant nutrition.

Interesting read though

[jcgd]

Look at Bonsai. The whole technique revolves around that idea.

[Sprucegruve]

bonsai is all about trimming the plant and keeping it small with little help from fertilizer......not the roots.........

I have seen bonsai with a 3gallon pail for a container,(bigger smaller container doesemt matter)

[jcgd]

"Bonsai can be created from nearly any perennial woody-stemmed tree or shrub species^[4] that produces true branches and can be cultivated to remain small through pot confinement with crown and root pruning."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai

It's not all about trimming. And the use of fertilizer to keep it small?? The container matters very much.

[Sprucegruve]

I will agree that the container has a small part to do with it,but mostly pruning the actual plant and proper nutrition have more to do with it.

Like I said though if someone was to go threw the trouble of re potting there plant every 2weeks-a month they would never have a limiting factor on there root growth,thus they would never"stunt" the plant or limit it's potential

I do trim two certant species of plants roots,but not for the bonsai affect,it you trim off the long runner roots you will get very healthy shorter "hairy" new root growth.root trimming is common in all gardening.