I spent the last few weeks propogating aerial roots on my shefflera through straws that channeled the roots to the soil surface. When they became long enough to go into the soil, I removed the straws.

On one of them, the tender root (currently whitesh green and fragile) was slightly pinched accidentally. Now, a few days later, the part that got pinched has "shrunk" so that it's profile is narrower than the rest of the root. The pinched area has also darkened to a brown color.

My question: Is that root dead at the pinched area and can I expect nutrient and growth to cease on that root, or do such roots 'heal' themselves?

David