What causes root tips to shrivel up suddenly?

[xDannyS_]

Occasionally, I notice that one or more of the root tips on my Vanda or Phals suddenly shrivels up and dies while the rest are fine. What can be the cause of this?

The one in the pic happened is from my Vanda and happened within the last week. It used to be like the left one. There is no way it could be from too little water so it has to be something else. Could it be related to fertilizing?

[Roberta]

They're getting lots of water, but aerial roots can still stop growing because they don't have as much humidity as they would like. But even more likely is damage from having been touched... those growing root tips are extremely fragile - therefore the advice to pot orchids (that live in a pot) when roots just start to emerge, since it is impossible to not cause some damage to them, but when a group of roots are just emerging, there will be more after the "pioneers" . In the case of Vandas and Phals with lots of aerial roots, damaged roots can branch.

[xDannyS_]

Originally Posted by Roberta

They're getting lots of water, but aerial roots can still stop growing because they don't have as much humidity as they would like. But even more likely is damage from having been touched... those growing root tips are extremely fragile - therefore the advice to pot orchids (that live in a pot) when roots just start to emerge, since it is impossible to not cause some damage to them, but when a group of roots are just emerging, there will be more after the "pioneers" . In the case of Vandas and Phals with lots of aerial roots, damaged roots can branch.

The ones that this happened to on my phal weren't aerial roots. They were either already in the potting medium or on their way into the medium from the stem (newer roots). Humidity is unlikely as I grow mine in a grow tent with humidity constantly between 70-80%. Physical damage does seem very likely for my phals as it was after I had moved them around a bunch. It doesn't explain the Vanda though. There is no way that anything could have touched the Vanda roots. It even once happened to a root that was inside of the basket that I have the Vanda hanging in, therefore there is absolutely no way that one could have been touched by anything.

Thanks for your response.

[PuiPuiMolcar]

The story of my cattleya, Why are they such Drama Queen