?? Please watch the video??

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Originally Posted by Wynn Dee13

In my 11 years of growing orchids I have never had a problem with planting aerial roots. Also, if aerial roots are only for air then why do some start out as growing aerial then dive into the medium? They can adapt.

Haha, sorry if it sounded like I was attacking you. Just from what I have learned, that once a part of a root has grown arial, it isn't a good idea to put it into potting media. But hey, maybe roots can slowly change their structure. I still would cringe at chopping off tons of lively roots.

[Call_Me_Bob]

ive always been told that roots grow tailored to the environment they first grow in. so wouldnt it be easier to let aerial roots be aerial roots instead of trying to get them to transfer into another environment?

[Wynn Dee13]

Originally Posted by TheBlazingAugust

Haha, sorry if it sounded like I was attacking you. Just from what I have learned, that once a part of a root has grown arial, it isn't a good idea to put it into potting media. But hey, maybe roots can slowly change their structure. I still would cringe at chopping off tons of lively roots.

I cut off long roots and even though I do that quite a bit I still cringe every time too! I also have a hard time throwing out even one tiny pbulb that falls off while repotting. I always end up potting them up because I feel bad throwing it out. I feel like orchids grow for so long from seed to flowering size it kills me to see even a piece be thrown out. So now I have a ton of tiny divisions that I have to take care of! I also hate how people buy orchids just for their blooms and then throw them away after they are done flowering and then go out and buy a new one. I want to say to them don't you know that plant has been growing for years to get to that point of blooming and then you just toss it like its garbage!!! So I know what you mean about cutting healthy roots, but sometimes it is necessary.

Also, roots can grow tailored to an environment like for water culture but in my experience aeriel roots can be grown in medium. As long as the plant has air flow to the roots why wouldn't they be fine? A lot of orchids grow in the air in the wild but people have been growing them in pots for a long time so that shows right there that they can adapt. You can also take a mounted plant and pot it and they can do fine. You have never seen an aerial root live planted in meadium? Have you ever tried it? I also wanted to add one more thing about potting aerial roots. Phal keikies grow aerial roots and then you cut the keiki off and pot it. So aerial roots can adapt to growing in medium.

[Shinnok]

Originally Posted by Mira-Claude

Somebody please get these cutters away from that woman, give her a warrant not to get less than 20' close to ANY plant and don't allow her to give anymore classes on the net about repotting orchids! Please!
This is a massacre!

She was trying to save the phal, as the leaves look horrible according to her. I did post the 2nd video weeks after she repot it and it did look much better. it got firmer..

[Shinnok]

Originally Posted by Wynn Dee13

This is a perfect example (the big Phal I-Hsin George in the 4th pic down). http://www.orchidboard.com/community...phs-phals.html
This plant is actually a perfect example of why the German lady did what she did to her Phal. This Phal has grown so well it has a long stem with roots but no leaves on the bottom of the plant. It needs to be repotted but it would be very difficult to do so if you kept all those roots. In that picture the plant is potted too high and needs to be repotted. Because it has a lot of good roots high up on the stem and it is so healthy you can cut that lower part off and plant it.

Great advise as i really have no clue on repotting phal that grows so tall and i can't find a pot that fits it...

[Wynn Dee13]

Originally Posted by Shinnok

Great advise as i really have no clue on repotting phal that grows so tall and i can't find a pot that fits it...

Many of my orchid books recommend doing this when monopodial orchids grow that way. If you grow a monopodial orchid long enough, eventually you will have to cut that bottom portion off to pot it right. It looks like it would be bad for the plant but it is not. Of course you wouldn't do that if the top portion doesn't have roots but usually by the time an orchid gets like that it has plenty of roots to survive.

[Jayfar]

Now that you mention it, when I looked at the video again I noticed that although the bottom leaves she removed were fully green, they were also somewhat shriveled. So maybe drastic measures were called for in this instance.

[Mira-Claude]

I still don't think it was wise to make such major cutting with unsterilized tools and not let the cut dry and heal at least a bit before repotting. The nurse in me cringe at the bacterial wide open door.
As for the reason she cut, I think it was more for the esthetics than the saving part.
I might be wrong. German and me don't see eye to eye. I failed that class... lol!

[Yukonphal]

OK...this may be a bit simplistic of a view for on here, but thats the kinda guy I am.
(1) if most of these orchids are epyphytic in nature, then aren't ALL their roots aerial roots, some of which have adapted?
(2) as epyphytic plants that sprout new roots up their stems, is it not their nature to grow upwards and spread out ,leaving their stem bases and older roots to rot, so that they can out-compete other plants by being "first" to get the nutrients coming down from above?

[james mickelso]

Arial roots...they are the same as roots that grow in the media. If you cut any root, let it dry for a day, or paste a bandage on the cut end, it will do just fine. Most orchids grow on tree branches or on rock and only need support aka media. Most orchids can be grown with no media at all. Ever see a vanda or ascocentrum? When you plant an orchid on a mount, the orchid wraps it's roots around the mount. Put spagnum on the mount andf the roots usually grow on top of the spagnum. You can cut off "arial" roots and as long as you bandage the cut end, of give it a day to heal, it will grow just as well in media. You can also cut off the older end of a monopodial orchid without any detrimental effects to the orchid as long as you give it the correct environment to continue to grow. Light, water, and food. I grow bonsai for over 40 years and every 3 to 5 years, I cut off a third of the roots of the trees and thinned out the remaining as well as leaves, needles, and branches and the trees responded with vigorous new growth. People keep trying to treat orchids as some exotic being. To see them in their natural habitat would change opinions. So.....here's a challenge for a;ll of you. Take one of your phals, vandas, or any other monopodial orchids, and trim it. Give it what it desires and watch what it does.