DEND LITTLE GREEN APPLES

[Shawna]

Hi,

I bought an overgrown dend. I went to re-pot it in a bigger pot and the roots stink really bad. I had this happen to me 1 other time but can't remember what I did to get rid of the smell. The roots are all white and some have green tips so they are healthy. It was growing in fir bark and large sponge rock. Can I soak the bare roots in vinegar or bleach to help get rid of the smell? It is a musty smell like it was growing really moist but the roots don't look like it had been growing moist. The leaves are hard and firm and the psbulbs are not shriveled. This is a reputable vendor I have bought from in the past. Will the smell go away?

[Daethen]

I would suspect the potting medium is where the smell is really from. Maybe a quick soak in peroxide and then repot in new medium. I had a catt that the medium had gone rancid. Smelled like mushrooms. Repotted and the smell went away.

[silken]

I definitely wouldn't use bleach on the roots and not sure about vinegar either. Peroxide would be a safer bet. But I would suspect the media as well, not the roots.

[bellini girl]

I agree with Silken and Daethen .I generally use peroxide anytime I want to clean up roots. Works well for me

[WhiteRabbit]

I would not try vinegar - I use it to kill weeds ...

[Shawna]

Thanks everyone. I will do peroxide.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Before you soak it in anything, get rid of the old medium and re-pot it first. I agree with others that have said the odor is from the medium, not the roots.

[james mickelso]

Just wash the roots off with plain old water. No need for anything else unless or until there is a problem. The grower may have used fish emulsion or something like that on it. Repot into new media.

[nlm2951]

Clean the roots hose it down and spray peroxide,clean the tools good and the area when you finish.