Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy – "Meterse en un jardín | Las raíces"

Date: October 21, 2025
Host: Àngels Barceló (A), with guest Eduardo Barba (B), plus callers
Podcast: SER Podcast – Hoy por Hoy
Main Theme:
A dive into the fascinating topic of plant roots, discussing common issues like root spiraling, best practices for potting and transplanting, and responding to real-life listener queries about plant health.

Episode Overview

This episode of "Meterse en un jardín," a weekly segment on plant care and gardening, focuses on the roots of plants—how they grow, the dangers of root spiraling ("espiralización"), and effective ways to ensure healthy root development, especially in potted trees and shrubs. Eduardo Barba, garden expert, shares practical advice and answers pressing listener questions about their cherished plants.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Observing Plants in the Studio (00:18–01:44)

• The hosts and Eduardo Barba discuss the importance of finding a plant’s “good side,” noting that all plants have one depending on light exposure.
• Quote:
  • Eduardo Barba (A): "Todas las plantas tienen un lado bueno." (00:38)
• Casual, lighthearted banter about cutting or trimming plants occasionally in the studio for aesthetics or care.

2. Root Spiraling (Espiralización) and Its Dangers (01:44–09:55)

• What is root spiraling?
  • Roots growing in circles inside a pot can strangle the plant as they thicken.
• Is it always a problem?
  • Not always, but for trees and woody (leñosas) plants, it can be fatal with time.

Why It Happens

• Roots follow the pot wall due to confinement; for example, with an oak (encina) started from an acorn.
• Quote:
  • Eduardo Barba: "La espiralización... es cuando la raíz crece enroscándose sobre sí misma, siguiendo las paredes de la maceta." (02:02)
• Native roots, such as the "raíz pivotante," are adapted to grow straight until they find an obstacle—then begin to grow horizontally.

Best Practices to Prevent Root Problems

• Use seed trays (bandeja de alveolos forestales) that allow the primary root to self-prune when it hits air (air pruning).
• Quote:
  • Eduardo Barba: "Cuando la raíz pivotante asoma por este agujerito del fondo, como está al aire, la raíz pivotante se quema, se automutila, se auto repica, se autopoda, se corta." (05:46)

Dangers of Ignoring Spiraling

• Roots thicken over years, forming “palos de hockey” (hockey stick roots) that eventually choke the plant and restrict water/nutrient flow—sometimes causing the tree to die or topple.
• Quote:
  • "Al principio es una espiral graciosa que parece un muelle, al final... hace un moño... se va autoestrangulando esa raíz." (06:12)
• Real-life examples from Barba: Conifers dying in a hedge due to spiraled roots.

Transplanting Advice

• When repotting, check for thick roots circling the pot and cut them where they start to curve for long-term plant health.
• The size of the pot naturally limits or enables plant growth: more substrate = bigger, healthier plant (given proper watering and fertilizing).
• Quote:
  • "El volumen de sustrato en una maceta controla ya el tamaño definitivo de la planta." (09:59)

3. Listener Question #1: Isabel from Valencia – Bonsai Orange Tree Issues (11:56–14:44)

• Issue:
  • Oranges grow but drop off prematurely. Regularly fertilizes with blue pellets.
• Diagnosis:
  • Eduardo immediately suspects overuse of synthetic chemical fertilizer (blue pellets) and identifies the plant as a calamondín (small ornamental citrus).
  • Recommends switching to a citrus-specific organic fertilizer.
  • Quotes:
    • "Has hecho una cosa muy bien que es jubilarte y la segunda que no está tan bien es la de abonar." (12:43)
    • "Eso es como una especie de chute muy elevado de nutrientes para la planta." (13:33)
• Advice:
  • Seek organic or slow-release fertilizer specifically for citrus (avoid rapid-release chemicals).
  • Quote:
    • "Lo que tienes que hacer es comprar un abono para cítricos y si es posible, orgánico." (14:28)

4. Anecdotes & Fertilizer Metaphors (14:48–15:22)

• Eduardo compares over-fertilization to athletes using steroids:
  • Quote:
    • "Son como los anaborizantes para los deportistas." (15:04)
    • "Yo siempre le digo que es lo mismo. Los chavales que dicen que está ciclado." (15:11)
• Emphasizes the importance of slow-release, organic nutrients for consistent, healthy growth.

5. Root Types in Non-Woody Plants (Geranium) (15:22–16:17)

• Presents a true (botanical) geranium and explains its fibrous roots behave differently from woody plants.
  • Quote:
    • "Aquí no va a ser como en el caso de las arbustivas o de un árbol. Aquí la raíz va a ser siempre muy fibrosa." (15:47)
• No risk of damaging spiraling—fibrous roots can grow in tight quarters longer.

6. Listener Question #2: Lola from Madrid – Inherited Geranium’s Health (16:17–19:22)

• Issue:
  • A 30-year-old geranium, inherited from her grandmother, suffering from transparent spots, holes in leaves, and hollow stems.
• Diagnosis:
  • Eduardo identifies the pest as Cacyreus marshalli, the "mariposa del geranio" (geranium butterfly), whose larvae tunnel inside stems.
  • Quote:
    • "Lo que tenemos ahí es la señorita Cacireus Marsalí, que es la mariposa de los geranios." (17:21)
• Solution:
  • Use specific insecticides for this pest, but only for sentimental/specimen plants due to chemical intensity.
  • Apply with precaution—wear gloves/masks.
  • Quote:
    • "Por favor, bien cubierta las manos, bien cubierta la cara, para que es un insecticida, no es agua bendita." (19:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Eduardo Barba on root pruning:
  • "Cuando la raíz pivotante asoma por este agujerito del fondo, como está al aire, la raíz pivotante se quema, se automutila, se auto repica, se autopoda, se corta." (05:46)
• On fertilizer overuse (anabolic metaphor):
  • "Son como los anaborizantes para los deportistas." (15:04)
• On inherited plants and pests:
  • “Lo que tenemos ahí es la señorita Cacyreus Marsalí, que es la mariposa de los geranios.” (17:21)

Important Timestamps

• 00:18–01:44: Introduction, showing plants in the studio and their care habits.
• 01:44–09:55: Deep dive into root spiraling and transplanting advice.
• 11:56–14:44: Isabel from Valencia asks about her bonsai orange tree.
• 15:22–16:17: Discussion of root systems in true geraniums.
• 16:17–19:22: Lola from Madrid discusses her struggling inherited geranium.

Episode Tone & Style

Convivial, practical, lightly humorous, and infused with care for both plants and the personal stories behind them. The language is accessible and colloquial, with plenty of metaphors and anecdotes, making technical botanical subjects feel approachable for everyday listeners.

Final Notes

The episode balances expert insight with warmth and relatability, highlighting not only the science of healthy plant roots but also the emotional value of gardening. Each listener question bridges the gap between practical advice and the personal attachment we feel toward our plants.