Division Root Damage

[PaphioAdict]

I have been re-potting all of our slipper orchids and dividing the ones who need too have the diseased center removed. I did leave the dried up old growing point on a couple other slippers and am watching them too see if they develop problems.

Unhappily I removed the mature and healthy roots leaving two smaller pieces with semi healthy roots.

The broken mature and healthy piece is only left with undeveloped root nodes and three of which are starting too emerge however the one has turned brown at the tip and I am not sure if the old media caused the problem or if I caused the problem with my abuse.

So I put the healthy rootless fan in a small clear plastic pot with small slipper fir bark mix and sphagnum moss (which I am not sure is a good idea)

Also I am wondering if the whole thing needs too be covered with a zip-lock bag so it doesn't fall out of the mix as easily and retain some of the humidly... or is that a bad idea?

[Ray]

Buy some KelpMax from C & C Orchids in Hamilton.

Unpot and soak the plants in a 1:250 solution (4ml/L or 1 tablespoon/gallon) overnight, then pot them up and water them in with the solution. Keep the medium moist, and in a few weeks, they should be well on their way.

[Fairorchids]

Do not be in a hurry to divide Paphiopedilums. It is common that they do not grow roots under each new fan, till the fan is 12-24 months old. This is:

1. Partly the way they grow
2. Partly a sign that the plant is not potted deep enough. The root crown should be about 3/8" to 1/2" below the surface of the potting mix. That way new roots develop into the higher humidity environment of the mix. If new roots break above the surface, they are likely to become stunted and abort.

[PaphioAdict]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

Do not be in a hurry to divide Paphiopedilums. It is common that they do not grow roots under each new fan, till the fan is 12-24 months old. This is:

1. Partly the way they grow
2. Partly a sign that the plant is not potted deep enough. The root crown should be about 3/8" to 1/2" below the surface of the potting mix. That way new roots develop into the higher humidity environment of the mix. If new roots break above the surface, they are likely to become stunted and abort.

Right that is my thought as well, careful of what you do.

At least I have two side side shoot that are rooted and doing ok.

[aliceinwl]

I’m curious if there’s any update on the small fan that broke off and was potted up? I had a similar experience when one of mine had a small fan that wasn’t attached to the parent when I repotted.

I waited until mine finished blooming to repot. It was in bad media, but there was minimal root death on the parent. The small fan, however, had no live roots or attachment to the parent. I potted it up separately in spagnum and it’s still hanging in there about a month out.

I’m wondering if yours ended up pulling through eventually?