Newbie - Phalaenopsis: Drying Aerial Roots - Orchid Board

JJC18 · #1 09-12-2017, 05:04 PM

Greetings,

I am a brand new Moth orchid owner that just purchased the plant from a local supermarket 2 weeks ago.

The flowers looked great but after opening up the package at home, I started to notice a couple of half dried aerial roots.

I have been watering once a week for the last two weeks in New York City and have now been trying to do a finger test on the bark media before watering.

I have watched a few YouTube videos on basic orchid care but unsure if the root drying should be a major concern.

Please let me know if you spot any other additional issues as well.

Pictures are attached.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

-JJC

Optimist · #2 09-12-2017, 06:45 PM

Roots, like leaves, have a life cycle. They are born, and eventually die, and a new one starts. Premature root death can take place if you have "too much" fertilizer, too much nitrogen, and potentially too little ambient humidity. (At least 30% for orchids).

Your plants look healthy, but the changes I would make are to allow more air into the roots, and allow sun (or appropriate light) to hit the roots as well. You can do this with a clear perforated pot. (In a pinch, I take old plastic mayonnaise jars, cut them in half, and poke some holes in them. They make great, super cheap pots.)

You can find more expensive pots at repotme.com and other various places.

For humidity, an ionic cool air humidifier in the general area is best.

Make sure your water is at about 6 ph.

Do Not Use water that is softened in a water softener unit that uses salt! That will kill an orchid and most plants. Orchids are very sensitive to water quality. People with water softeners in their homes must source water from other places. (Orchids like rain water the best.)

estación seca · #3 09-13-2017, 11:36 AM

Hi JJC18. Welcome to the Orchid Board!

There are others from New York City here on Orchid Board. I hope some of them enter the discussion.

Optimist is right that orchids prefer higher humidity. NYC is fairly humid in summer. I know some people move plants outside to fire escapes in summer.

Most hybrid Phalaenopsis tolerate lower humidity than do many other orchids, so they usually do fine in homes. Plants like yours were raised in humid greenhouses. Those air roots are accustomed to higher humidity, and sometimes air roots of newly-purchased plants die when brought into lower-humidity environments. But the roots in the pot are usually fine.

If you water the plant, and then let it get dry before watering, it should do fine. Phals are lower-light plants. They don't need any direct sun on their leaves. They may sunburn in a sunny window.

There are good threads on Phal care here on Orchid Board. In the left menu select Forums, then Beginner's Forum. Near the top are sticky threads. Look at "The phal abuse stops here" and "Using wooden cooking skewers to check for moistness."

NYC tap water is very low in minerals, so it is great for orchids.

Mountaineer370 · #4 09-13-2017, 12:02 PM

My indoor humidity is usually in the mid to low range, way closer to low in winter, with the furnace running. Understanding that orchids like humidity is a dilemma for me, because I'm a person who is extremely bothered by high humidity, so I'm definitely not going to deliberately add it to my house.

I have several orchids that have aerial roots, including a nice phal that came to me, mail-order, with a lot of them. After a few weeks in my house, I noticed those roots getting drier and drier, but I have found that misting the aerial roots in between waterings seems to keep them very happy.

Sorry, I don't know how the word "misting" became a link to an advertisement. I certainly didn't do that! I've tried to take it out, but I can't figure out how.

estación seca · #5 09-13-2017, 12:42 PM

The owner of Orchid Board owns a company called MistKing that sells misting systems. Whenever anybody uses the word "misting" it's coverted to a link to Marty's business.

By the way, MistKing mist systems really are great. I use one.

Mountaineer370 · #6 09-13-2017, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by estación seca

The owner of Orchid Board owns a company called MistKing that sells misting systems. Whenever anybody uses the word "misting" it's coverted to a link to Marty's business.

By the way, MistKing mist systems really are great. I use one.

Oh, okay, thanks for the explanation! I guess I don't mind at all, if it's a business of Marty's.

DeaC · #7 09-14-2017, 05:34 PM

I've bought my fair share of these from supermarkets. Most are in moss or bark which is in bad condition,cramped in a plastic pot then placed in a decorative pot minus drainage holes. Employees water but it has nowhere to go=rot. I'd remove it from the old pot and repot after cleaning up roots which appear mushy and dead. Good growing and welcome.

JJC18 · #8 09-15-2017, 10:13 PM

Thanks all for the advice. It is very helpful.

As for the supermarket pot, surprisingly the pot did seem to drain most of the water out when I watered at the bottom but I will double check.

Is there any way to tell if the bark is bad? As a new plant owner, transferring an orchid to a new pot with bark immediately seems to be a daunting task.

Also, any opinion on Miracle-Gro Orchid Plant food spikes? I'm planning on breaking a stick and putting it in the pot the next time I water the plant.

JJC

estación seca · #9 09-15-2017, 10:50 PM

Most of the time with orchids sold at markets, the medium is bad. The grower probably last repotted the plant 1-3 years before. They work out their timing carefully so they can sell them before having to repot again.

Dollythehun · #10 09-15-2017, 10:51 PM

It seems daunting until youv'e done it. To be proactive, it probably should be repotted. Don't use Miracle Gro bark mix. Buy a higher quality if you can find it. Better Gro is ok and usually available. Rinse the mix well first, you can even soak it overnight, spread out the New York times and unpot and repot. If any roots are mushy, cut them off with a sterilized impliment. Then position the plant and gently poke the new medium around the roots and water in to settle. You can do this. You'll be a pro in no time!