While I was digging through last year’s flower pots to loosen and freshen up the soil, I stumbled upon something unexpected – what appeared to be a piece of fabric. But upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn’t fabric at all, but rather a matting of roots.
Last year, I planted a Mandevilla in the same pot as I did in 2022 along with a terracotta watering spike. (See: Note: What Are Terracotta Self-Watering Spikes?) You can see the Mandevilla I planted in 2022 (See: Note: My Results With Ollas and Terracotta Watering Spikes – 2022) When loosening the soil this year I found a mat of roots shown in the image below.
As I examined the root mat more closely, I noticed a unique pattern that resembled the outer ridges of my terracotta watering spike. What’s more, when I folded the root mat end to end, it matched up perfectly with the shape of the spike. The root mat folded perfectly into the shape of the terracotta watering spike it attached to.
This illustrates how plants use their roots to locate water sources and how providing a targeted and consistent water source, like a terracotta watering spike or olla, may be enough to sustain the plant without the need to saturate large areas of surrounding soil in hopes water reaches the roots.