Vanda Sanderiana Yellowing Roots

[orchidollie]

Hi, everyone!

I've been reading a lot of helpful threads here. So, I thought that one of the readers might have the answer to my concern.

I acquired this vanda sanderiana about a month ago. Recently, I noticed that some roots are turning yellow one by one.

The first one to turn yellow has turned dry and brown (see second photo) after a week.

I'm from the Philippines. The orchid receives morning sun until around 10am. After that, it gets light filtered by the nearby trees. I water them every morning before I leave for work. I dunk them in a bucket of water for around 10 to 15 minutes.

Thank you!

[wintergirl]

Is your water good? Fertilizer burn?

[Roberta]

It could also be mechanical damage - if the new growing root tip gets damaged, that section of root can die. If that is the case, as it settles into its new home, new roots will probably start to develop along the mature ones, or totally new ones emerge. That's a potential problem with the "dunking" treatment. any contact with a new root tip will damage it, and with all that handling, difficult to avoid. If you can't keep it hydrated enough with the hose and rain, perhaps consider putting it in a pot (basket and all) with some large bark, to hold a little more humidity in the root zone,.

[estación seca]

If your humidity is high, you can water them by spraying with water from a hose or a spray bottle. That way you don't have to touch the root tips. Just be sure the roots turn from white to solid green. You might have to spray them more than once. This is how commercial growers say they water.

[orchidollie]

Thank you, everyone!

I believe it's not fertilizer burn or caused by the water quality. My Ascocenda receives the same treatment and it doesn't do that. So, I'm thinking that it's mechanical damage,

I guess I'll go back to watering using a hose or get a bigger bucket.

Should I cut the yellow portion of the roots?

[Roberta]

I would not rush to cut roots. If a root is shriveled, brown, and dry then it is certainly not doing anything and could be cut. But even if the velamin (the spongy outer part of the root) is dead, the center of it can still bring water to the plant. Since it will be hanging free in the air, I don't think that you have to worry about rot spreading. (And in your humid climate, I do think that hanging free in the air is what the roots need)