Wow! What a root system! LOL!

Yes, thanks, that's why I wanted to show them.

We've recently seen some plants here w/ hardened off rootballs & I wanted to share how to undo that horrible mess..

Well I found some fast draining mix, but not enough of it. So I had to top it off w/ some finer potting soil I must have removed from something else. It'll do fine for now.

A nice little rescue.

I may divide it into two come Spring assuming it winters well, make some cash for the plant sale table of the Group.

Wow, that may be the best example of circling, girdling, and defective lignified roots I've seen yet!! Don't worry, they'll all go out the window when you repot in June. By then there should be a bunch of new healthy feeder roots to help the plant sail through repotting.

This may sound a little crazy, considering that we all go on and on about the importance of a fast draining soil, but layering two very different soils is such a bad idea in general that unless you can get more of the fast draining mix, you might want to mix the two soils together so the whole soil mass will absorb water and drain consistently. Sure, it may retain quite a bit of water, but there are tricks to remove excess water from a pot after watering that will keep your spider plants healthy until June.

Before doing anything, though, tell us what the 'fast draining mix' was made of, like whether it was very peaty, sandy, and fine-grained, or made of large particles of bark, pumice, grit, and the like. You really can't trust the manufacturer's description of the soil, because even the specialty mixes targeting orchids or water-phobic succulents can be just about as heavy and water-retentive as the evil Miracle Gro Moisture Control, and don't provide the aeration needed by any plant's roots.

Good job rescuing the plant! I have the feeling it's going to be very happy in your care.

Karen, you are so kind to post these pictures and explanations for others to learn from your experience. Thank you so much for your time.