# Keeping roots tip top



## LEFTHAND (Mar 16, 2010)

*What do healthy roots look like?? ( By, Dr.Lynette Morgan)*
*Just what should a healthy root system look like can be a little confusing. Many of us like to see very white,bright,thick roots with fluffy root hairs and a decent volume of roots within the system. Some growers are impressed by very long roots which grow down and out the base of their containers.However, roots dont have to be snowy white or very long to be healthy and often in certain types of hydroponic systems will have a different apperance. Tempature and stage of the plant growth can also play a role in root apperance and some death is part of the natural cycle of many plants that live longer. *
*Tomato plants for example prefer to put large amounts of energy into growing young fruitand during this stage the roots may suffer some limited die back and change in apperance to that of a young vegetative plant.Roots age,just as old foliage will senesce on the upper parts of the plant,but there will always be sufficient new root growth to continue to support the plant for as long as required.Darker coloured roots-cream,tan or brown - are more common i n plants past the seedlings stage and under warmer root zone temperature. Darker root colour doesn't mean the root system is unhealthy; in fact many plants develop well functioning brown roots as the plant ages. Root thickness is influenced by temperature, with thinner roots seen under warmer growing conditions, although this varies somewhat between species. One interesting experiment that hydrophonic growers or students can carry out is to grow plants like lettuce or tomatoes in a few different types of root environments to see how this influences root appearance in healthy plants. Roots which are continually submerged in a deep solution culture system appear very different to those in light growing media such as coir or those in aeroponics, despite all systems giving similair yields and growth rates. Roots adapt to the conditions they are grown in to a certain extent and can thrive in a range of environments provided they have sufficient oxygen, moisture, and nutrients. In systems where the roots are obtaining all their oxygen, they tend to not have the proliferation of quite visible white fluffy root hairs that those grown in aeroponics or a light , very well aerated media do.* 
*Optimum Root Condtions:*
*What do plant roots need to function well and support good plant growth? There are three basic requirements-oxygen,moisture, and correct nutrient balance. If these are kept in balance, then most plants won't succumb to attack by root disease pathogens. Optimizing the root environment is the best matho of keeping roots in tip top condition. Plants have the ability to absorb the oxygen they need to respiration, root function and nutrient uptake from both the air and that dissolved in water. However, the amount of oxygen is very low, only around 13-14 ppm at most, so it can be rapidly depleted unless replenished with solution aeration methods. Air contains significantly more oxygen, however, roots sitting in the air risk drying out unless kept moist by some method. In a media system, the pores within the media contain air which replenished during the irration and draining cycles, however, the physical properties of media determine how much more space and, therefore, air is available to the roots. The ideal pore space in a hydroponic media is between 20 and 45 per cent, depending on irragation frequency and plant type. Light or granular media such as coir fibre, perlite, expanded clay and rockwool are usually very well aerated. Heavier media which holds a lot of moisture such as poor quality peat, compost or heavy soil, and any media which as become vey compacted, often doesn't contain sufficient aeration for maximum root growth. Pervention of fluctuations in moisture within the root zone is also important for healthy roots; drying and over wetting are mayjor causes or root death and pathogen attack and although many plants can regenerate roots after a period of dediccation, they are often severly weakened. Nutrients are also vital.  In hydroponics we don't tend to see the type or frequency if mineral disorders in the root grown crops, although they may develop. A lack of phosphorus can impede root development through a lack of energy production. A lack of calcium can cause the root tips to become jelly-like and boron deficiency can cause root splitting and hollow core in crops such as carrots, parsnips and beets. Boron is also know synergist in combination with IBA for new root formation on cuttings. Additives such as silica can strengthen the root zone in many plant species and there is much evidence to suggest that maintaining a healthy balance of beneficial microbes in the root zone can assist root health. Fulvic and humic acids are also beneficial for root function and assist with mineral uptake and chelation of elements, making them more avialable for plant growth.*
*LH*


----------



## Cowboy (Mar 16, 2010)

Good post LH. One of the most impotent things to me also is the smell. It is my first indication that something is wrong. I can usually  smell it before I see it. If my tank dose not smell fresh like lettuce I got trouble.


----------



## LEFTHAND (Mar 16, 2010)

Cowboy said:
			
		

> Good post LH. One of the most impotent things to me also is the smell. It is my first indication that something is wrong. I can usually smell it before I see it. If my tank dose not smell fresh like lettuce I got trouble.


 
*Pathogen Attack..* 
*Healthy roots should be intact-that is not  mushy,breaking* *apart,decaying,smelling bad or withering away. Large amounts of broken  root peices flowing back to the resivoirs in NFT and similar systems are a warning sign (unless they are there due to harvest removal from mature plants). *
*LH*


----------



## ishnish (Mar 16, 2010)

sweet!  thanks LH!
the mention of beneficial bacteria makes me wanna get started on my bio-rings experiment right away...


----------

