Severed Coriander Root

This is the root development story 27 days after planting the coriander. Development has been slow because the temperatures have been cut right down. No matter. I wanted to see if severing a root induces branching. So I took a craft knife and pushed it through the side of the plastic cup, cutting one root in half. No lateral roots had developed on any of the roots at this stage.

8 days later, the result is not as expected. Although the severed root (left) has apparently developed one long lateral root at its base (top), the remaining two unsevered roots seem to have developed more, and these are distributed along the full length of these roots. It's difficult to determine this definitively, since lateral roots could be hidden in the compost behind, out of view. But there does seem to be a difference in development.

It also seems that the lateral on the severed root is following the moisture level of the compost down the cup as it dries. This could lead to an interesting insight into watering techniques for optimum root development.

I was also fascinated to discover that the severed base has not died off, but is still apparently in full health, albeit not growing. How is it doing this? What is it living on? Had it already got some food reserves passed down from up above? Or is it be being fed from the other half, through an inter-root connection? Stranger things have happened.

P.S. If you are wondering why I am so interested in roots, see 'Roots Are Hoots' from last year.