Thanks a lot, Lorn. There are people who continually learn and leave open the possibility to change their ideas, and others who learn and then are closed minded (kinda sad, really). And that applies to just about everything, not just horticulture. Even politicians if they flip, I can respect them if they articulate their reasoning. Flip-flopping would take more convincing, though.
Not sure why bloated roots would rot after a time, but I can speculate that it must put a lot of pressure stress on the root surfaces (as well as cell walls), perhaps making entry points for disease organisms that usually love water and nitrogen. Or maybe it disrupts the normal chemical reactions that go on. If water isn't free to be taken above the soil surface, it must not be very free for whatever it is needed for in the roots either. Water, with its H+ and OHˉ ions is an incredibly useful compound.
