A root question

[Becca]

I have a question about roots...more particularly rotting roots and/or broken roots. Lets use a Phal. for example....it roots are rotted say halfway down the root and then it has good root after the rotted part....how does the good part of the root after the rotted part survive or get nutrients to the plant and why doesn't that part just die as well? I have been told to cut the root off above the rot if it still has good root above it. I have also been told that if a root has a break in it but still has good roots after the break that it should be cut off at the break, but the root still looks green and to me I would say if part of a root is green, then it is still serving it's purpose to the plant....

So I would like to know...what rule of thumb should be used when it comes to stuff like this?

[Ross]

The part, generally, that you are viewing is not really the root. It is a surface coating of cells designed to soak up nutrients quickly then pass them to the actual root, which is a filament in the center. It is called velemin (I'm not sure of the spelling). That is why an apparently "dead" or "rotted" root can spring out with a new green tip. Hope this helps.

[Becca]

ok that makes sense....so is it bad to cut the root at the rotted velemin area even if there is healthy velemin after and before it?

[quiltergal]

If the tip is still green and growing but the velamin above is rotted, the core is still intact and doing it's job. I'd leave it as I view it as a functioning root. Certainly not pristine but if it's still working why mess with it? JMO

[Ross]

:iagree: I have NEVER cut a root that had new green growth at the end. Doesn't make sense to me.

[Becca]

Well it some of the roots have (or had) green after the rotten or broken part....and I say green because I know when roots are wet or moist, they turn green such as the roots of a Phal. The roots I am talking about don't have green tips, as in active growing tips....like perhaps the middle rotted but the end of the root still seems to be functioning. Just thought I would clarify the green part.

Anyways....I was told to cut roots off like that to the good part of the root if there is any....and then I started thinking more about it after doing so.

[Rosim_in_BR]

Becca, as you know, broken velamen doesn't mean broken root. Phal is a good example. It is not uncommon that its fat velamen breaks (but not the root inside) and still continues functional, above and after the broken point. Even though the tip of the root is not green, if the velamen looks healthy, keeping its characteristic color, I don't think it is a good idea to cut any part off. I never did it. In my opinion, the same is valid if a little area of the root rotted and you have healthy root above and after that area (supposing that the rotting process is not going on). In fact, I grew Phal in SH for years and occasionally some roots partially rotted. I never cut them off, I simply cleaned the rotted tissue and let the core root there.

[Becca]

Well after hearing everyone's opinions, I will no longer continue to hack off roots that are broken in one place or rotted in just one place as long as the other two ends look happy. Thanks everyone!

[Vanessa]

Thanks for this thread. I was wondering the same thing. I had read an article saying to remove the mushe dead velamin and leave the wirey root in tact as it will still function for the plant. You guys have made it make sense for me.

[Ray]

The initial description points out my (frequent) comment about roots tailoring themselves to the environment.

The conditions were good to start with, but over time, they degraded to the point that the root could no longer function well, so it started to die back. Fortunately, the plant was in a growth spurt, so new cells - ones that do work in that environment - started to grow and support the plant.