Phalaenopsis Orchid Roots with Black Spots
 

My phalaenopsis orchid grows outdoors in the humid Florida climate. It was in a clay pot with only one draining hole in the bottom. I used bark on the bottom (so that water would not sit there forever) and the better-gro orchid moss on the top. The lower leaves got wrinkled when it was replanted 1.5 years ago and a bit later they cracked in the middle. However, the new leaves were growing perfectly healthy: juicy and smooth. The plant is large and needed a 12.5"+ pot, but I was not able to find a good big enough pot for it fast. When I pulled the plant out of the pot, majority of the roots were white and very fragile (please see the last 3 images). I cleaned it, trimmed a few bad roots, but it got dark and I had to leave it out without any medium for a few days. In a few days, the roots got many black spots in many places and in all of the places where the roots cracked (please see the first 6 images).

Could you please tell me what to do with these black roots? Should I leave them alone or they need to be cut?

This is my largest and oldest plant. My heart hurts seeing this. It is clearly my fault. I do not know what to do. I spent a lot of time googling images and posts, but did not see anything similar :_(

I so need help for my beauty. :help please.gif

Thank you very very much in advance.

WOW! That is quite some mass of roots! Kudos on the good growing.

The black spots are probably nothing more than necrosis around breaks. Some people trim just above that, then let the roots air dry for a day before repotting. Others ignore it and pot them up.

With that extensive of a root system, I’d trim.

Those are some lovely roots!
Wish I could have your climate in my living room :D

I've never seen a phal have such an impressive rootball so don't worry about a few having been broken. It is good practice to let these breaks dry for a few days so bacteria dries out before repotting so you did nothing wrong.
I can see lots of new green roottips being produced.

It is now clearly not your fault - as in there was no fault at all here.

When roots get stuck to bits of media, and when roots (like a piece of wire) have some kind of maximum-allowed degree of flex or bending ....... where over-bending leads to damage ---- in this case cell-damage. And cell damage can then be accompanied by dying cells and/or rotting and/or colour changes in the damaged region (due to rotting).

When that happens - the roots and leaves etc often have ways to patch itself up if growing conditions allow for it. So temporarily allowing the damaged area to dry a bit, and the plant somehow creates a seal around the damaged portions ....... then the orchid can just resume regular services and operations ------ without any problem.

Unfortunately this is just one of those other things that should actually be included in orchid growing manuals. But may just be left out.

This is the beauty of an orchid forum like OrchidBoard, where situations can be addressed, or situations clarified - very nicely.

Thank you so much
 

Thank you so much for your quick replies. I, honestly, didn't expect to get the help so fast. I was too scared of the black stuff and did do some trimming.... eh...too fast. I don't think the beauty liked it, but I really hope it'll recover. I'll update the thread with the images in a bit once it'll get out of the shock.
Now, the internet has the answers and images of this type of damage, so hopefully others will find them.
Many many thanks to all of you :thankyou

That's right. It is thanks to the people like you that take the time to upload good quality images, and describes what you see. And this all helps other orchid growers in the future, and also reminds orchid growing book writers to put information just like this into their orchid growing books. Information that SHOULD be put in.

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

I would not have trimmed the roots at all. Next time you will know. I never trim roots unless they are dark and slimy. I can't really tell what's dead or living.

Just repot into a pot with whatever medium you are comfortable using. You can use bark, volcanic cinders, pumice, extra-large perlite or LECA clay from a hydroponics shop.

An update
 

:waving :hello
Hi everyone. Just wanted to post an update and say a huge thank you again. These pics are from Sept of 2021 (almost a year after the 'situation" and me trimming many of those poor damaged roots). It survived. The new roots grow nice and strong and get out of the 'pot'. However, its leaves remain a bit wrinkled and never recovered. I think she just does not like me for hurting it.
But I am happy that she is alive anyway :nod:

I think it looks great!