JARG's recommendation on how to let roots breath better in soil.

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

Hi all, I may write a guide with pictures eventually about this, but for now I just wanted to bring up the topic. I have been experimenting with poking holes in my soil. The theory is that if air can get down to the roots they will get the much needed oxygen and breath easier. I have noticed that when I add an air stone to water when rooting cuttings they seem to do much better than without the air stone. I have heard of people poking holes in soil before so I thought I would start messing around with it. I took a couple plants and every time I watered them and while the soil was wet and could move around easily, I would take a small bluntly pointed object about 1/8" in diameter and poke about 30-40 holes in the soil as far down as the rocks in the bottom of the pot. I had to be careful not to tear roots in half and I found that if I sharpened the pointer it would slide around roots and not tear into them.

What I have found over the past couple weeks is that the plants I did this to are much perkier and are appearing to grow faster. The plants I didn't do this to are still doing fine, but appear to be growing slower. I have also found this poking method really helps if you have repotted your plant and have two different soils. Poking holes while watering helps the water spread evenly throughout the pot and not leave dry spots.

Does anyone else poke holes in their soil? If so, what have your results been?

JARG

[Fretgod]

what if you poked holes into a straw and inserted it into the dirt? then youd have a permanant solution

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

I have heard of that recommendation. The only drawback to that is I would think after a while little particles of dirt would fill up the straw.....but I have never tried it. Does anyone here use the straw with holes method?

JARG

[SynapticFlatulence]

what about the potential for damaging the roots?

[joefromsac]

Anytime my plants have needed an O2 boost I mix a solution of H2O2 to give her, works great.
Never tried the hole or straw method. Two things that would concern me is letting potential root eating bugs a direct route to a feast and also drying out the roots.

[darkshadow]

what if you did a 4 way split with air stones and buried them then put a tight mesh over top of them so the soil wouldnt clog them before you planted your plant they you would have oxygen under the plan rising up to the surface of the soil and limited chance for blocking

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

Two things that would concern me is letting potential root eating bugs a direct route to a feast and also drying out the roots.

I think if bugs are in your soil then they will find your roots either way with or without a direct route. I haven't had any problems with roots drying out. I think this is because there is still lots of water around the roots and it probably wicks along the entire root keeping it from becoming too dry where the holes in the dirt are.

what if you did a 4 way split with air stones and buried them then put a tight mesh over top of them so the soil wouldnt clog them before you planted your plant they you would have oxygen under the plan rising up to the surface of the soil and limited chance for blocking

Hmm, I hadn't thought of this. It would be interesting to try, although I am not totally convinced that oxygen would flow through the soil evenly. I would think it would make a single route and all the air would go through that one route. There would be a lot of pressure preventing bubbles from going through the soil and I think as soon as it found one route all the air would escape through it. Unlike in water where the bubbles float upward, i think air in soil would just flow any direction....but I could be wrong.

JARG

[Hero4Evz]

Only issue with putting air stones in the soil is that if they didn't have a clear way to the surface pressure would build in an air pocket under the soil and eventually explode upwards towards the surface once they overcame the stress of the soil making a mess and possibly damaging or removing the plant. Like having a big bucket of air upside down underwater and you suddenly put it upright and watched the airbubble return to the surface.

[darkshadow]

what if you did it like this

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

If you did it like that I think all of the air would just go out the air escapes and not through the soil. Soil is a pretty big pressure gate without much porosity. But if your dead set on to making it work you should do some constructing and experimenting.

JARG

[Jupe]

soil pushed to side can compact, but I think on principle it's a good idea. 

Last week here at work, we transplanted a few 300 lb specimens,(agaves, not salvia )which had been started in commercial cactus mix, perlite, fluff and stones.....flooded the entire pot first....(oops, bad idea...weighed 500 lbs) anyways, 80% of the center of the pot ahd dead dry zones anfter flooding, the old roots were at the outside....we had to break open the entire rootball, and clean as much  stuff off as we could.....I took a few pics for reference....my point is that this kind of mix, too light and airy, and unable to even get wet, would be a great mix to drill some holes down into it, and then pour new soil into the holes!!!!!


.....I like lava and chips etc....... plants break down the chips, but the lava is always there, and doesn't settle well...it also has major pore space for air....