Phal surface roots

[Silviu]

Good day, I'm a beginner with orchids. I was wondering if it would be good to cover the surface roots (not arial roots) with something to keep them moist.

You see the top surface roots are dry and starting to die imo, while the ones below the surface are still green. I can't water it yet of fear that I'll cause root rot so I was thinking of covering the top with some light moss or if anyone has another solution

[camille1585]

Welcome to OB!!

There is no actual difference between aerial roots and roots in the medium. They are the same, it's just that they grow to be adapted to their environment (moist in the pot, dry in the air). Those roots actually look like and healthy to me. I have a lot of Phals who's roots look like that on the surface. They get a bit stained from either fertilizer or from tanins in the bark.
You could push sphag over them if you wish, but it must not be kept too wet. Like I wrote above, roots adapt to their environment. That portion of the roots is adapted to the drier conditions at the surface of the pot, so keeping them too wet would cause them to rot.
At one point I used to mist those roots every day. It gives them some moisture and I found that it often encouraged new root growth as well.

[Ray]

That plant appears to be in a very open, airy mix, so the voids likely won't hold enough water to cut off air flow to the roots, which is the most important thing for orchid growing. Water does not cause roots to rot; water filling the voids in the potting medium suffocates them, so they die, then rot.

Those surface roots show no sign of dying, but could certainly take some moisture. Personally, I'd mist them, and not cover them. You'll note they turn green when the velamen covering them gets saturated - that's an indication that photosynthesis can occur there, so why cover them and block the light?

[Silviu]

tnx for the info, I guess I'll mist them once or twice a week at least, the pot is filled to the top as it is and I can't put anything more on top