Use of sharp implements is encouraged, yes! I usually just take secateurs -- handily hook-y! -- to the rootball and rip at it vertically several places around.
Plants falling over with frost is not a problem here, but wind rock is a big one. I've seen shrubs that had gotten quite big, but were tipped over, and it turned out their roots were still in a 2L-pot-sized ball, swivelling in the earth like a socket joint with maybe one poor root actually attached and feeding the top!
Also when picking a plant at the garden centre it is -- so long as you don't drop it, and obviously also don't injure yourself -- allowed to tip a plant a little ways out of its pot to have a look at the roots.
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Date: 2016-04-06 10:06 pm (UTC)Plants falling over with frost is not a problem here, but wind rock is a big one. I've seen shrubs that had gotten quite big, but were tipped over, and it turned out their roots were still in a 2L-pot-sized ball, swivelling in the earth like a socket joint with maybe one poor root actually attached and feeding the top!
Also when picking a plant at the garden centre it is -- so long as you don't drop it, and obviously also don't injure yourself -- allowed to tip a plant a little ways out of its pot to have a look at the roots.