| Ellen
It is hard to describe dead roots in a book, even photos are not very clear. Mostly it is experience and handling. It shocks people to see me repot when I pull off dead roots without even looking at the plant. Experience, touch and feel. An even bigger shock is when I take a very overgrowth plant and healty plant, I strech the roots out and cut off everything over 5 inches long. Roots should only be about 3/4 the depth of the pot. You do not need to be this drastic, but it is one method.
Experience also teaches that if you cut (or break) good roots it will not kill the plant.
Authors know all this and are afraid that advice will be mis-interpreted. People have too strong an inclination to take advice as mandatory whereas it is only a guideline. All rules are meant to be broken sometimes.
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jerry  |