WillC said:Plant growth rate is mostly determined by the amount of available light.
This is untrue for the plants that I grow, and untrue whenever a grower selects a location with adequate light. Why would you think this would be a general rule?
The main limiting factor for the plants that I grow is not light, nor nutrients (I provide regular low level fert), but the constraints of being pot bound. I know this from the experience of growing thousands of plants, and making an effort to keep them in the smallest pot possible (for reasons of economy). They slow down when they fill up the pot, and the lag is immediately released when they are moved to a bigger pot. The amount of evidence all around me when I repot different plants on a weekly basis is pretty convincing.
I'm not sure why "proper repotting" requires loosening the rootball... Will, perhaps the reason why you have been so averse to repotting (repeated posts in various places on this site) is that your "proper repotting" is actually more invasive and radical than your plants prefer. Maybe try a less radical approach and you will find the plants do not suffer from it. Just as a helpful suggestion, and speaking from experience.
