Seaweed / roots question

[RNCollins]

Hi! I've been using Seaweed extract and have been having great root growth on my orchids. The only problem is that some of my Cattleya's roots are growing up instead of growing down into the media. What can I do to get them to grow downward?

[james mickelso]

The roots of most orchjids grow along a surface like that of the tree or branch they naturally grow upon. Most orchids are epiphytes which mean they don't need soil to grow on and instead grow their roots along a surface. Your roots are doing what comes naturally. These roots are exposed to air and gather moisture by absorbing this moisture into an absorbent layer on the actual root called velamen. It is a spongy covering that is very absorbent once it has matured. Some of my cattleyas grow their roots down over the side of the pot and hang in the air.

[cbuchman]

Roots will grow seeking moisture. You can water your orchids from the bottom to encourage root growth down into the pot. I've good success with this. You do this by sitting the pot in a saucer of water and letting the water soak up into the medium. You cannot let the pot sit in water indefinitely, it must dry out between watering as always.

[tucker85]

I don't think there's much you can do to discourage aerial root growth. Carrie's idea is certainly worth a try. Some orchids just like to grow aerial roots and some don't. Generally speaking, orchids with lots of roots are stronger and healthier than those with few roots even if they're aerial roots. Misting aerial roots occasionally is a good practice if it's convenient for you.

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[Corsetière]

I have a big catt that is doing the same thing right now. It's even in S/H so I would have thought the humidity from the reservoir below would have encouraged it to grow down, but no, not so much!