Hide the air root system in the potting medium. Good/Bad?

[camille1585]

They are all roots, it's just that some are shorter than others. I see some nice green growing tips on some of them. Just make sure that you pot it up in the smallest pot that they can comfortably fit in, otherwise the medium won't dry out fast enough. It helps to soak the roots a while before potting so that they're more pliable and less likely to break.

[iOrchid]

Hmm, are those with green top not an air root?

[camille1585]

I'll try to explain. Roots are roots, what we call 'air roots' are ones on a potted plant that just happen to grow into the air.
Have you seen pics of Phals growing in the wild? They grow on trees, so their roots always get plenty of air movement, and they rely on rain and moisture in the air to get water. So the roots are used to growing freely.

For convenience, cultivated phals are potted. This is not natural for them at all, and they will put out roots outside the pot, searching for moisture in the air. That is a more natural way of growing for them. So the term 'air root' only really applies to potted plants as a way of easily differentiating between roots in the pot, and roots in the air. But it is very important to note that these roots have very different structure simply because they are grew in accordance to the environment around them.

So the answer to your question is that all the roots on your plant are just that: roots! They just happen to be roots that are more used to a breezy environment. The fact that they have new growing tips is good, they'll be able to tailor themselves to their new environment.

[iOrchid]

Thanks Camille...

So the roots that grows in air wont rot when potted?

[camille1585]

I'm not an expert on this, but while they won't die off immediately, they will certainly have a shorter life span. It helps to keep the plant a bit on the dry side. If you want the highest chance of success, wait until the plant is starting brand new roots before repotting. Those will grow in to the medium, and be perfectly tailored to it.

[Orchid126]

Plants should sit in the pot with the rhyzome half in, half out of the medium. With a phal, up to where the neck meets the bottom leaves. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[camille1585]

The medium should be level with the base of the plant, no leaf bases should be buried.

But I do have to say that mounted orchids are not as difficult as you think. Sure they need daily watering, but that quickly become part of a routine. Before leaving for work in the morning I give the mounts a quick 5 second dunk in a bucket of water. Every day to 3 days depending on the season, especially since I put a nice wad of sphag between the mount and roots. If I go away for some days I lay them out on a table and completely cover the roots with very damp sphag.

[iOrchid]

Well, not difficult. But I must remove the plant from the mount, I cant spray water in my apartment! I want my orchids to be independent for a week. I just give them some love, but some weeks I just cant be home, and I dont trust ppl in my home. ;-) I would Maybe let and orchid expert as you in...

Tomorrow it will be potted.