Phalenopsis no roots

[Saphire]

Hi everyone, I have a mini orchid with no roots but 5 healthy Ariel roots, its been like this for about 6 months and don’t know how to encourage root growth.

[WaterWitchin]

Welcome with your first post!

If you've been keeping it alive like that for six months, you could just mount it. Roots are roots, whether in the air, attached to a mount, or potted in a medium suitable for orchids. But they best adapt when first growing.

If you really want it in a pot, I would just put your potting medium of preference into the pot, set it down on top of the medium, and brace it with a couple of skewers or chopsticks. as new roots develop, train them down toward the medium. You might be able to get that one shortest growing root on the left into the medium. I'd be leery of attempting to get the older ones pointed into the medium. Even by soaking for awhile, it's sure easy to snap off a root bending it that much.

Personally I'd mount it. If you've never grown a mounted plant before, read through the thread Growing on Mounts here: https://www.orchidboard.com/communit...ing-on-mounts/

[Saphire]

Thank you so much WaterWitchin.
I have sat it on damp moss for quite a while but its made no difference, its just to keep it nourished. I will have to try at mounting it, Never mounted one before but will give a go. All my other large Phalenopsis are growing and flowering beautiful.
I started collecting 3 years ago and one of them is still holding a flower spike with lots of flowers since last September so I must be doing something right.

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

[Saphire]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Thank you so much, I still have a lot to learn

[tmoney]

howdy!

probably if this were ours we would try to pot it up and put most of the roots in media and leave one or 2 exposed. super airy media to almost mimic mounting (or their previous environment). it will probly suffer a bit and maybe lose some of those roots, but if it makes it a few months it'll start growing more and hopefully put some down into the medium or allow you to coax one or 2 down while they grow.

lite ferts and consistent watering for the first couple months.

that's what we'd do, but best of luck with whatever course you take!

and welcome to the ob!

[Saphire]

Originally Posted by tmoney

howdy!

probably if this were ours we would try to pot it up and put most of the roots in media and leave one or 2 exposed. super airy media to almost mimic mounting (or their previous environment). it will probly suffer a bit and maybe lose some of those roots, but if it makes it a few months it'll start growing more and hopefully put some down into the medium or allow you to coax one or 2 down while they grow.

lite ferts and consistent watering for the first couple months.

that's what we'd do, but best of luck with whatever course you take!

and welcome to the ob!

Thank you Tmoney,

I am suprised its lasted as long as it has, it has had a flower spike but the flower only lasted a week.