What healthy roots look like when you unbox an imported plant

Most of the anxiety after an import arrives goes toward the leaves — a droop, a curl, a bit of yellowing. The leaves recover on their own timeline. The roots are what actually tell you whether the plant made the trip well.

The thirty-second check

Gently ease the root ball a little way out of the pot, just enough to see the outer roots without disturbing the medium. You are looking at colour and firmness, nothing else.

What healthy looks like

• Firm and springy when pressed lightly between two fingers.
• White, cream, or light tan, depending on the species — consistent along the root's length.
• A clean, earthy smell, or no smell at all.

What is worth a message to us

• Soft, mushy, or hollow roots that collapse under light pressure.
• Dark brown or black running well beyond the root tips.
• A sour, rotten smell from the medium.

A few dry, brittle root tips from transit are normal and nothing to worry about — that is old growth, not new damage. Widespread softness or smell is the thing that actually warrants a photo to us.

After the check

Settle the root ball back exactly as it was, water normally, and leave it alone. Checking once on arrival is useful; unpotting a plant every week to look again does far more harm than the reassurance is worth.