Black tip on new root

[sweetas647]

Hi all!

I have an Epidendrum schummanium that has been putting out some beautiful new roots. Yesterday though, I noticed that one of these new roots had turned black at the tip.

What's going on here?

[estación seca]

It's a cool to intermediate grower from areas with very high humidity. What is your ambient humidity?

[sweetas647]

Ahhh it's around 35-40%.... I try to compensate with watering, but the root that's turning black is growing away from the media.... do these typically not do aerial roots in a home environment?

[estación seca]

Home environments aren't ideal for plants expecting high humidity. Phals often have these issues, for similar reasons. But they may do well, since they may have a healthy root system in the medium, where air is more humid.

I don't know how this plant will do. It's not commonly cultivated. I have one that arrived from Ecuagenera early this year. I put it in semi-hydroponics, in my humid sunroom. It is making a strong new growth, but has not made any new roots yet.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by sweetas647

do these typically not do aerial roots in a home environment?

Aerial roots are just a name for roots that come off the stem region of some orchids. But as for roots that originate more toward the base region, and/or rise upward away from the media and into the air ------- not sure what they're called. Maybe could say aerial roots as well. If assuming we just call this one here an aerial root ------ then it appears as if the root initially started to do well ----- in order to get to where it got to. But then it appears that something changed in the environment ------ such as the humidity got too low, and the root tip didn't make it at the end.

So it was forming an 'aerial root' ----- but then something happened --- maybe a change in humidity conditions, or maybe even the root tip started to get away from the zone (closer to the sphagnum) where the conditions could support the root growing process.

If there are attacking organisms in the area ----- could also consider that too.