Thoroughly molesting the roots can do damage, but as long as you are not seeing lots of the tiny new whitish roots breaking off, you are OK. Allowing all the smallest roots to dry out can cause more setback than breaking a few.

What I do is take a kitchen fork and rough up the smooth surfaces of the unpotted growing medium. I do attempt to straighten major wrapped-around roots. That can require enlarging the planting hole a lot.

The planting hole should have a slightly loosened bottom and sides that taper outward. Refill the hole with soil a couple of inches at a time, packing the soil firmly around the plant roots with fingertips. If the sides of the hole are very firm, loosen them up with the fork. The whole idea is to leave the plant in soil that is firmly packed, but does not have a sudden transition to hard ground near the plant.

It probably requires more experience to get the correct planting depth after firming up the soil, as one sees many planting efforts where the plant ends up in a depression or on a mound with some root exposed.

By firmly packed, I mean with fingertips or for larger areas, tamping with the blade of a hoe. Unpacked or sudden soil transitions leads to the area depressing or cracking after watering or rains. You have done a good job if these do not occur to a major degree in the first month after planting.

My method applies to potted plants up to several gallons; it is not as critical for little 6-packs. I would not make any claims it is the best way, but I have never lost a plant to poor planting methods.

Thanks, Larry, that is really helpful. One more question- when you go over the surface with a fork, do you just scratch the surface or do you dig the roots out a little bit?

I do always have trouble getting the depth right the first time. Seems like I get a plant all planted then realize it is too deep or it's too high and I have to start over.

If there are no or few roots on the surface, I just break up the flat plane of the medium, rough it up a bit, don't forget the bottom. If there is a mat of roots present, I loosen them up a little and draw out any major ones for spreading, unless they prove to be fragile or hopelessly tangled.

When the planting depth has been misjudged, it is best to do it over right away.

I don't understand why all the tv gardeners plant out without watering first. If you top water dry plants, they just don't absorb the water very well. Try it, and then check the root ball - usually only the outer edge is damp. Or try planting dry and then top watering - then check the root ball. Again, usually very dry.

I always soak the six packs in a pan of water until they sink (15-30 minutes while I'm getting ready to plant) AND I water the area where they'll be planted because a wet plant in dry soil will lose water to the dry soil.

Quart or gallon pots go in a large bowl or dishpan 'til they're very heavy with water. I have very good luck this way. You don't need to water the plants after they're planted except to wash off the leaves. I also 'clean' the plants as I go, removing any yellowing leaves and deadheading the fading flowers.

I usually put a shallow slice through the roots if they are showing alot on the outside of the rootball. OR, my newest way of planting is to put a slice about halfway up through the bottom of the rootball and divide the rootball into two sections - so you have an unside-down 'T' shape. Then plant.

I NEVER lose a plant to transplant shock.
Daphne in Tacoma