Help please-- broken root!
 

Hi all,

I'm caring for my boyfriend's orchid over the holidays, and somewhere in transit yesterday, the root broke.

I noticed the split today because the base of the vine has turned yellow... The vine base is now completely root-less, and I'm not sure if I can, or how I can, save it.

Please help! He loves this orchid, and I have no idea what to do!

Thank you,
Tula

Hello and welcome to the OB.
Do you know what kind of orchid your boyfriend has?
Joann

Hi Joann,

It's a vanilla orchid.

Thank you!

Not an expert, but that never stopped an opinion.
I have two vanilla's that started as 6" cuttings.
Planted in african violet mix.
About 8 or 9 months later they're both about 4 feet long.

Vanilla seems to start as a terrestrial orchid (planted in soil), and as it grows becomes more and more epiphytic. Once it's long enough, it no longer needs the terrestrial roots at the base because the roots on the tree/support provide enough nutrition.

I would pot it up (about 2-3 inches deep) in a good quality african violet mix, keep it moist but NOT wet. Make some sort of a frame for it to grow on. The small roots at each leaf will grasp the wooden surface. Mine started on rough cedar until they "bridged" over to palm trees.

I have a Phalaeonopsis and the root broke about 3/4 of an inch from the end. What do I do?

:welcomeflowers:

I don't think there's anything to be done about that. The root may develop a new grow tip in time.