?? Please watch the video??

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

What happens in nature?

In nature, the whole stem, including the past roots and all, stays attached to the currently growing part of the plant unless it is so old that it literally dries up to dust and blows away, but that would take ages to do. I would not advise you do go do this to your plants willy nilly!!! I would neither advise cutting of a part of a stem from a Phalaenopsis that has living roots attached to it. Maybe trimming the roots, which will encourage the growth of new roots and branching, but if there is living, non rotted roots, keep them!!!

[Wynn Dee13]

Originally Posted by TheBlazingAugust

In nature, the whole stem, including the past roots and all, stays attached to the currently growing part of the plant unless it is so old that it literally dries up to dust and blows away, but that would take ages to do. I would not advise you do go do this to your plants willy nilly!!! I would neither advise cutting of a part of a stem from a Phalaenopsis that has living roots attached to it. Maybe trimming the roots, which will encourage the growth of new roots and branching, but if there is living, non rotted roots, keep them!!!

Well maybe but we are not growing orchids in nature. We are growing in pots. At some point you will have to cut healthy roots and the bottom portion off to pot the plant right. BruceP is right it will not hurt the plant as long as you are giving them the care they need in the first place. It makes the plant grow new better functioning roots. I don't know why everyone treats orchids like they are so fragile and freak out when healthy roots are cut either. Yes it is hard to do but like I said before sometimes it is necessary! I'm not cutting roots willy nilly. I don't cut healthy roots off if I can avoid it but sometimes it needs to be done. I'm not telling you to go and cut all of your plants healthy root systems off. But in that video she did nothing wrong. She was doing the right thing in that situation.

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by Wynn Dee13

Well maybe but we are not growing orchids in nature. We are growing in pots. At some point you will have to cut healthy roots and the bottom portion off to pot the plant right. BruceP is right it will not hurt the plant as long as you are giving them the care they need in the first place. It makes the plant grow new better functioning roots. I don't know why everyone treats orchids like they are so fragile and freak out when healthy roots are cut either. Yes it is hard to do but like I said before sometimes it is necessary! I'm not cutting roots willy nilly. I don't cut healthy roots off if I can avoid it but sometimes it needs to be done. I'm not telling you to go and cut all of your plants healthy root systems off. But in that video she did nothing wrong. She was doing the right thing in that situation.

what is so wrong about getting a larger pot? why not get a larger pot?!?! then NO roots would be cut off and the plant would have more happy healthy roots!


and i still dont understand why cutting healthy roots off an unhealthy phal is "the right thing in that situation" enlighten me please!

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Originally Posted by Call_Me_Bob

and i still dont understand why cutting healthy roots off an unhealthy phal is "the right thing in that situation" enlighten me please!

I agree! Another thing that has been bugging me is how no thought has gone into that maybe there are other factors behind the reason why the plant appears to be unhealthy. I think that a plant with a root system that large should not look like that one did unless the environment or some other factor was unsuitable. I really don't see how a plant can look so nasty and have such awesome roots.

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by TheBlazingAugust

I agree! Another thing that has been bugging me is how no thought has gone into that maybe there are other factors behind the reason why the plant appears to be unhealthy. I think that a plant with a root system that large should not look like that one did unless the environment or some other factor was unsuitable. I really don't see how a plant can look so nasty and have such awesome roots.

agreed!!

[Wynn Dee13]

Originally Posted by TheBlazingAugust

I agree! Another thing that has been bugging me is how no thought has gone into that maybe there are other factors behind the reason why the plant appears to be unhealthy. I think that a plant with a root system that large should not look like that one did unless the environment or some other factor was unsuitable. I really don't see how a plant can look so nasty and have such awesome roots.

Nobody said that the roots were making that plant look the way it did. But just by looking at that video you can't tell 100% that those roots were perfectly healthy. She was trying to reinvigorate the plant. To get it to grow new healthier roots up by the leaves. Also unless you speak German how do you know her reasoning behind cutting those roots off? It seemed to me that she was explaining why the plant was struggling and why she cut the roots off. But since I don't know German I don't know what exactly she was saying.

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by Wynn Dee13

Nobody said that the roots were making that plant look the way it did. But just by looking at that video you can't tell 100% that those roots were perfectly healthy. She was trying to reinvigorate the plant. To get it to grow new healthier roots up by the leaves. Also unless you speak German how do you know her reasoning behind cutting those roots off? It seemed to me that she was explaining why the plant was struggling and why she cut the roots off. But since I don't know German I don't know what exactly she was saying.

the roots may not have been 100% healthy, but there were enough healthy roots (even one healthy roots is worth saving!) that it shoudltn have just been hacked off!


the question that still hasnt been answered, that i am asking you (or anyone who cares to answer) is why cut off healthy roots?!?!