Encyclia cordigera: reluctant roots

[Orchid Whisperer]

I have an E. cordigera that has previously bloomed for me. I bought it early 2014, spiked & bloomed later in the spring, after which I repotted into a clay pot with lava rock, a medium that I've heard Encyclias often like.

Summer of 2014 after repotting, it produced a growth that is smaller than the one that bloomed. That new growth is still there, but has never produced a single root. Not even the start of a root.

Summer-fall 2015, another growth has developed on the other side of the growth that bloomed in 2014. It's another growth that is smaller than the one that bloomed. No roots (yet).

My question: Is E. cordigera often reluctant to produce roots? Or is mine behaving oddly? I treat this plant like most of my Cattleya alliance types. I have an Epc. Charlie Brown grown exactly the same way, bought at the same time, it has lots of new roots & is now in sheath. These plants get Cattleya type light, fertilizer 11-35-15 applied 1/4 strength twice a month during the growing season, kelp extract once a month at recommended strength. I water sometimes with rain water, sometimes with tap water.

I don't have pictures now but with try to take & post photos later.

Any thoughts on why I'm not getting new roots?

[isurus79]

My cordigera hasn't had any problems with roots, so this would be a bit of mystery to me too. Maybe pics will help out.

I wonder if there's some hormonal imbalance that is blocking root production?

[Leafmite]

Sometimes, it might be the red lava rock (or even LECA) that causes the problem of no roots. If the orchid moves in the pot at all, the rough edges of the rock can harm newly forming roots and kill them before they even get a start (this is not a problem once the plant is steady in the pot). I have found the same problem with LECA for the more sensitive orchids.
There are two ways that I solve this problem.
1) I stake the orchid so that it barely rests on the rock. This prevents the rock from rubbing against the area where the roots will emerge.
2) I put a very thin layer of NZ sphagnum moss down on top of the rock and then stake the orchid on top of the moss. The moss protects the new roots until the roots have established enough to hold the new orchid steady.

[ula]

I had a bit of trouble growing new roots on that one myself, but I noticed the surface of my medium getting dry really fast, and I added a "topcoat" of sphag (Like Leafmite)- since then, plenty of root growth.

[Leafmite]

You might want to also try a seaweed/kelp mix. I bought an Angraecum sesquipedale this spring and discovered that the roots were dead. I bought some cheap seaweed stuff with good ratings on Amazon to try to save it and it has recovered very nicely, only losing one bottom leaf in the process. I was pretty pleased as I wouldn't say we had an ideal summer for Angraecums.
Good luck!

[Brooke]

I grow my cordigera in the same set up Whisperer and it gets new roots with each growth.

Maybe you should whisper sweet nothings to see if you can get it in root growing mood

Good luck - Brooke