One of the single most important factors of how well a marijuana plant will grow, and how much it can yield, is the health and strength of its root system. Below the surface of your growing medium, the root mass is comprised of a tangled web of roots that store sugars and starches (cannabis plant food) and transport needed minerals to the plant. The marijuana plants roots are covered in millions of small hairs that absorb water and minerals from the surrounding root zone.
This root system sends minerals up through the body of the plant to leaves for use during photosynthesis, which in turn makes the starches and sugars the plant uses for food and energy. The bigger and more extensive the root system is, the bigger the plant will grow.
In the root zone, moisture levels, temperature and oxygen directly affect growth. It is very important to remember that roots breath in oxygen, while the rest of the plant uses carbon dioxide (CO2). When growing indoors and using potted containers, the best containers to house your plants are those which are the most breathable, or permeable by air, so that oxygen can easily get into the root zone. If you grow outside, aerating your soil or grow medium by churning or tilling once every few weeks is also a good idea.
How Marijuana Roots Work
When starch is made via photosynthesis in the top portions of the plant, any excess plant food is sent back down to the root system for storage. The more energy the roots have stored up, the more nutrients they can send up to the leaves to be used in photosynthesis to make more food. It’s a cycle that, when all things are going