"Ray" wrote in message
news:e3H7h.1580$Kw2.499@trndny05...
My friend has a potted plant -- she doesn't know the name but says it's
more like a shrub than a plant -- which seems to be doing poorly.

I thought it might be root-bound in a too-small container.

What are the best steps to removing the plant, pruning the roots, and
replanting it?

Also, will pruning from the top tend to keep the rootball smaller?


Basics:
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...le/id-457.html

Just my opinion, but if someone hasn't got the skills to find a library book
with pictures and identify a plant, they don't have the skills for root
pruning. Keep it simple for now.