A guy at the Portland nursery taught me to check the roots before buying anything

Jason Flores · 2026-10-17T20:15:04.049726+00:00

Last Saturday I was at a nursery off SE Powell and an older guy working there saw me about to grab a fern just because the leaves looked full. He pulled a pot, tipped it upside down, and showed me roots circling tight against the plastic like a cage. He said "leaves lie, roots don't," and told me to skip any plant that's been sitting long enough to get root bound. Now I want to hear how the rest of you check a plant before you pay for it, do you always pull it from the pot or just go by gut?

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A guy at the Portland nursery taught me to check the roots before buying anything | Botany Lovers - Free To Speak