Al: Oh, I do indeed have more trees! I am a bit overwhelmed by the number of pots both in and outside of my home. I am an incurable collector. I could ask you questions about them all day. . . Back in March, you answered several of my questions about making the gritty mix when I was just embarking upon that adventure. I put a few plants that were on death's doorstep in the mix then. A few didn't make it (a draceana among them), a few are thriving (the aloe and spider plant love the mix!), most have held steady and are starting to show signs of growth (shefflera, swiss cheese philodendron). So I do have a sense of the patience required when repotting before the optimal time. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of undertaking things at the right time. It's been nice to practice with the mix, learn about it's water retention, and begin to tweak it for my needs before I moved my most-beloveds into it. This week I chopped an enormous floppy jade back to it's thick base and put it in the mix. Looking forward to that development. Also a favorite cactus whose name I don't know; it's about four feet tall, main stalk about 3-4" diameter with five stalks coming off the main, so maneuvering it was an exciting project. I was nervous about that one, but glad I did it when I got in there and saw how cemented the roots were in the hardest soil I've ever dealt with. I have a ficus lyrata (fiddle fig) that also reaches the ceiling, so I'm using your advice to give it a new shape. I'm planning on following roughly the same timing for it as for the elastica. I have a very big Bloodgood maple in a pot that's too big to move. I'd love to get that back to a manageable size, but it has just leafed out beautifully and I'm thinking that it is not the right time for that. Your comments are welcome. My other big question involves conifers. I have a very sick Wilma Goldcrest Cypress, and some kind of arborvitae (I think). I've noted that you don't recommend bare-rooting these, but cutting wedges. Is that correct? What about timing? Okay, I've rambled enough. As you can probably tell now, I'm addicted (like many folks I've read on this site). Thanks again for your help. I'm really enjoying learning about the plants, seeing their roots, and giving them conditions to thrive. blessings, brenda

If it is healthy then don't do anything. Pothos can handle being rootbound fairly well. However root pruning means cutting off some root mass so it fits in the pot better. Often the older roots get thick over time and become less efficient when that happens. Thick roots are good for anchoring a plant into the ground and not necessary in a pot. Cutting back the older roots usually promotes a flush of new, efficient root growth and can result in a significant growth spurt above ground as well.

Marion, I do the following to root my roses: I like to take the cutting from a branch that has had a bloom that has just finished blooming. I cut it so that I will have 2 sections of leaves, then I cut the spent bloom off the top. I put the cutting immediately into water while I get more cuttings, prepare the soil, etc. I like to use few drops of a product called "Super Thrive" in the water I soak it in, and in the water for the dirt. I use miracle grow potting soil in a small container. I get it wet, but not so much that it will be sitting in a puddle. I make a hole in the dirt with a pencil. I take the rose out of the water, and make a few shallow cuts at the base, then I dip it in Schultz TakeRoot powdered rooting hormone, and stick it in the hole in the dirt. I put the little pot of dirt and rose into a zip lock bag (I like the 2 gallon ones) then I zip it most of the way up, and blow air into it to create a mini greenhouse. I put it in a window that does not get direct sun. In my case, a north facing window. I don't touch it for at least 2 weeks, then I lightly pull on the stem to see if it has rooted. If the stem turns black, it is dead. If it grows mold, it needs to be cleaned off immediately or thrown away so that it doesn't effect the other cuttings. If you are successful, in 2-4 weeks new leafs will start to grow. If you used clear cups for the dirt, you will start to see white roots in the soil. I adapted my method from this video I watched when I first started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiL83eUKWY8

Agree. Too, just because you have roots growing out of the drain hole isn't proof that the plant is root bound. Roots are opportunistic and only grow where conditions are favorable. That hollow space under the pot probably supplies much more air/oxygen than the lower reaches of the soil in the pot. Since the conditions are favorable there, that's where they grow. Your plant isn't rootbound unless you can lift the entire root/soil mass out of the pot intact. There is no rush to repot your plant. It would fare much better if you wait until the summer solstice if you're more than 25* N or S latitude. If you're closer to the equator than that, it doesn't much matter when you repot. Al