Repotting with very high up roots

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by rbarata

If the roots of a keiki are considered as aerial, then aerial roots can be put in the medium.

Thank you rbarata!

As Phals are epiphytes growing in boles (scars from fallen branches) or on branches of trees, these "aerial" roots are only looking for a place to hang on or to burrow into what detritus they can find in a bole or the crook of a tree. If anyone has grown Phals in a greenhouse and seen aerial roots from one plant take up life in the pot next to it, you can relate.

Yes, you have to be careful to not break these roots when potting them as t hey are very turgid, hence the "screwing in" trick. In cultivation, when aerial roots become rampant outside a pot, it generally means the mix has broken down and the existing roots are not able to send enough nutrients to the plant. Plants talk to you - you just have to learn what they are trying to tell you!