Potting up from terra cotta

[windchicken]

I grow 95% of my plants in the ground, but some inevitably end up in terra cotta or wooden containers. I really like the porosity and permeability of those types of containers, but they are heck when it comes to potting up. The roots stick to the walls so tenaciously that I always destroy either the root ball or the container.

Does anyone know how to pot up from terra cotta or wood while saving the root ball and the container?

 

[Josh]

Not speaking from experience but maybe you can run a knife all around the edge of the pot. Then you only have to tear the plant off the bottom.

 

[chileaddict]

Not speaking from experience but maybe you can run a knife all around the edge of the pot. Then you only have to tear the plant off the bottom.

Agree with Josh. That is what I have done. A long and flexible blade works well. I think I used a hack saw blade once and it worked.

 

[windchicken]

Thanks Josh and Richard. I'll try it with a long thin blade. Last time I tried it I used a garden trowel...Fail!