I found your question to be of interest. Since no one has answered the question I decided to try to find the term in one of my many resources. Nada... nothing. Someone have may used the wrong letters and meant to say "root bound", which happens to plants in too small of pots.

OK, I found the reference you made and Baci meant to use that term. I still can't find the term in any reference book. I think he/she means that the roots grew a lot while the above-ground plant itself didn't... which is actually typical of Natives..... afterall, they usually have to survive in harsh conditions that require an extensive root system. Other than that guess on my part, I haven't a clue. I guess you could always send Baci an email thru GW and ask.

In one reference I have found "root bolting" refers to the stimulative effect on roots by certain "negative" plant hormones, if that makes any sense. Here is the imcomprehensible reference:http://www.pruittfamily.com/paul/plantsvii.htm

Bob

The roots may have "bolted" out of their pot "prison" and have extended out of the pots to some nearby moist soils, and hence bolting.

The only thing I could find with reference to "bolting" in plants is with regards to biennial plants. This is when a plant that usually follows a two-season schedule decides to go through an accelerated schedule and completes a seed-to-seed cycle within one season.

Not sure if that is similar to what they were referring to when it comes to root bolting.
Could it be that "root bolting" is when the root development is out of phase with the rest of the plant?

Thanks for your help. I do find the term fascinating, however I think it might have been used loosely. For now, I don't think I'll lose sleep over it.

Hi Goddesscleo. I just saw your post. The term is my own  I used it to describe rapidly growing roots without little growth apparent growth in the plant. It is not a scientific term so it will not be found in a book  unless I publish it myself. I have just experienced rapid root growth during certain periods with my native salvias without upper plant growth. I have had experiences where they start to look poor, & then within a week start to die. I have tried different ways of dealing with this, & letting the root ball dry out & re-planting the entire root without disturbing it works well for me. If I brush away or disturb the root soil the plant dies. Thus, I do not trim the roots.
I did not mean to cause any grief; I just strive for brevity in posting. The longer a writing is, the less likely it is to be read; thus my term.

Thanks Baci for your response. I appreciate your term "root bolting". It's appropriate since I believe that may be what happened to my Salvia apiana. I'll take your advice on transplanting it into my garden.

Grafting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about grafting plants. For grafting of animal tissue, see medical grafting.
Grafted apple tree Malus sp., consolidated 'V' graft
Grafted apple tree Malus sp., consolidated 'V' graft
Fuchsia x hybrida, grafted specimen. The scion (upper part) has been grafted onto a rootstock stem to raise the plant for aesthetic reasons
Fuchsia x hybrida, grafted specimen. The scion (upper part) has been grafted onto a rootstock stem to raise the plant for aesthetic reasons
A grafted tree showing two different color blossoms
A grafted tree showing two different color blossoms

Grafting is a method of plant propagation widely used in horticulture, where the tissues of one plant are encouraged to fuse with those of another. It is most commonly used for the propagation of trees and shrubs grown commercially. (Grafting is limited to dicots and gymnosperms. Monocots lack the vascular cambium required.)

In most cases, one plant is selected for its roots, and this is called the stock or rootstock. The other plant is selected for its stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits and is called the scion.

In stem grafting, a common grafting method, a shoot of a selected, desired plant cultivar is grafted onto the stock of another type. In another common form called budding, a dormant side bud is grafted on the stem of another stock plant, and when it has fused successfully, it is encouraged to grow by cutting out the stem above the new bud.

For successful grafting to take place, the vascular cambium tissues of the stock and scion plants must be placed in contact with each other. Both tissues must be kept alive till the graft has taken, usually a period of a few weeks. Successful grafting only requires that a vascular connection takes place between the two tissues. A physical weak point often still occurs at the graft, because the structural tissue of the two distinct plants, such as wood may not fuse.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grafting - Wikipedia

Native plants often do not do well in pots. My assumption was the heat of the sun on the roots caused their decline. I did solve the problem by digging the pot into the soil. A lot of extra work when you are growing the plants to give away. Al