Roots at surface

Guys i got an issue sorta..
Now i recently was just running my gloved hand through the top of my soil a bit.. to check if any little gnats are around..and more importantly was checking how dry the soil was..
I was on the outter rim of this 5gal bucket.. and i broke a root off.. i thought it was like a twig in the soil mix or something.. but closer inspection revealed it was indeed.. roots..
My question is.. is it normal for plant roots to be soo near to the surface... my plant is rather big for 5gal bucket (abt a 7gal pot size). literally a quarter inch...
I do too dress my soil with worm castings mixed w perlite and a little of this amazing organic potting mix usually every watering.. and just was wondering if this is a problem.. or just natural.. or my plant saying something .. whether its too small a pot.. or its drowning below and needs air.. or needs more nitro like them casting.. w.e.
Thank you.. here are pics for general idea of everything.. the soil line and plant size ..

 

I just transplanted them from half gallon pots to 5 gallon buckets 3 weeks ago..
I really dont think its cause of rootbound issues.. for some reason they want to be here not go down..
This is them 3 weeks ago lol

But who knows.. but one things for certain.. i wont transplant again.. theres absolutely no room.. and im not buying anything else lol.. im not gonna ask my gf for a ride 30 miles away again for soil either.. was hard enough 1 time..
But yeah doubt its rootbound .. july 15th i transplanted them from a little bucket to these 5 gallon buckets.. which are huge.. theyre dimensions are actually a small amt bigger as far as area inside.. than a 7 gallon plant pot

My thought was im putting too many castings up top and theyre going to em for the rich ground.. or somethin since theyre rich in alot.. including myo fungus

 

Plus i dont see any roots at the holes by bottom that i drilled peaking out yet ..

 

I actually found this veryyyy interesting artical that helped me realize whats going on.. i didnt know the tap root shoots down.. but the upper side roots just go sideways mostly..

 

Thank you.. sorry if i sounded like an idiot asking a question and answering myself.. i literally JUST saw that article after this question lol.. needless to say i still tore out a few inch long roots though lol.. hopefully doesnt cause any trouble..
Yeah im really hoping these give decent yield.. i havent smoked in 3 months.. since the bag i got these seeds out of .. so im gonna get super lit when this is over hopefully lol

 

Idk.. id have to disagree.. especially w growing indoors.. highly doubt ill get rootbound.. ive seen alot of people use 5gal buckets.. they are much bigger than 5gal pots... either way it is what it is.. i dont have room for anything bigger.. but yeah ive seen much bigger plants in em... i really couldnt see anything bigger in my home.. i cant turn my house into a jungle .. closet only lol.. but like i said.. no roots at bottom..

 

Heres a decent list.. 5gal pot is really only 3.8 gal pot..
And good for 4 ft plants...
And ive actually seen a smart pot vs regular pot side by side.. literally no difference.. just a $ gimmick.. i mean it probably would help my heavy hand w water... but roots dont get air pruned in the earth.. or before those pots.. and survived for millenia .. not discrediting your advice or trying to be a dick.. just saying roots being at top werent from rootbound issues.. but did find out roots just grow that way.. tap root goes down.. other roots go horizontal.. eventually they join up..

 

Well hopefully not..
I am a week into 12 12.. it isnt that i am saying i got it worked out.. its just not a possibility to move them to another pot.. its not that simple
.. dont drive.. mail is delayed soo any mail orders wouldnt get anything till week 7 flower.. cant lose any vertical room.. stores closeby dont even have pots now.. thus 5gal buckets and not pots to begin with.. a wider pot would press against walls in closet or flat out not fit.... then i gt spend money my wife prolly wont approve of.. to get pots and soil and perlite again after already had a war over it first time lol

 

I actually ordered a ph tester 5 weeks ago and is still not here

 

And yeah.. i mean coco or soil they still have the same space to grow dont they? Not a sarcastic response.. a genuine curiosity.

 

Are they really that big :/ .... i see em grow every day.. theyre like still babies to me.. maybe its why my wifes soo pissed.. she was soo against this as it was lol..
But question.. my wife grows regular plants.. a hurricane recently destroyed her squash in 2 bins she grows in. She grows in huge plastic tubs.. which i woulda used but she hogged em all .. theyre huge.. talking pour a wholr 2 cu ft bag of soil in and still not full..
But.. could i just chop the bottom off or put huge holes in these pots and stick em in those .. i dont wanna shock these transplanting.. but i think i would w how big they are itd be a b$#*! Moving em from a pot to another one

 

Thank you.. i actually almost did use coco this time.. wish i had.. because a friend told me it would be a better fit indoors.. but i do get what you are saying .. i am scared to transplant these lol.. how the hell do i transplant a 3 and a half foot plant i cant just tip it over in my hand like i usually do..