Root Trimming Can you Do It?
 

Hello all how are you!!!! i have always stuggled with this decision!!!! i was always taught that a happy orchids comes from happy roots so why should you trim them? this has gotten me into trouble!

I have limited growing space and the smaller the plant the better so i have quite a few Phalaenopsis that are small but, this one that needs to be re-potted was grown in a tall pot (the place i purchased it from grew it that way). The plant is small but the roots system is no joke!!! so there are alot of roots too many to fit into the new pots i have. can i cut these down to a more appropriate size and length? i really don't wanna set it into a big pot but if i have to i will i guess. Will trimming the roots hurt the plant in the long run or is this acceptable orchid culture? BTW: It is currently in new growth roots and leaves

Help, Sam!!!:biggrin:

Sam,

If it was a cattleya, I'd say cut away!
But phals are more fragile and take longer to recover from root cutting imo. Certainly, you could cut a few roots without setting the plant back but I'd be conservative.

If you can pot it up without cutting off anything but rotten/decaying roots I would leave them and let some of them hang loose! More is better in this case. ;)

Ok guys thanks im most likely going to repot tomorrow Its a normans orchids plant so the moss it for one thing old(nothing to do with being from Normans) and as their plants usually are the moss is Very compacted. i will se it in the larger pot i purchased today.

the only pots i could find were either the exact size the plant is now or 2 sizes bigger so thats what i will have to go with! this will allow room for any basal Keiki it decides to make!

i cant get myself to cut roots! lol. if i were you, i would use a larger pot, and if its too big around but still the right depth, put a smaller put overturned inside.

I've seen You-tube vidios of repotting phals done by people in nursaries, and I was shocked to see them lopping off the bottom of the roots :yikes:

I wouldn't do it, but I think a really healthy Phal can probably survive it.

For Cymbidiums I've done it twice and it's advised that you DO lop off the bottom of the roots. It's still something I do with trepidation, but they have both been fine.

I'm not sure about other genuses. I know some don't like there roots disturbed much at all.

yeah all the pots are the perfect depth, if i set the plant in the new pot the leaves are just at the or a touch above the rim of the pot its the width im worried about i have some hydroton i was gonna use that as a filler and then re pot normally IMO its the same as putting pot shards in the bottom.

But today i went to Lowes and I found the perfect size pot!!!!! 2 of them in fact one is plastic and the other is clay but the clay has no drain hole so i have to Carefully crack one into it.

oh and i know Normans orchids has a video out of a guy repotting a Bifineria i think it is.... and he lopped alot of the bottom roots off!!!!!!:shock:I audibly gasped it was crazy. i have a Specimen BLC Drumbeat heritage i Have to divide and pot up and im gonna have to psych myself up to chop those off to fit into the new pots:(, Ive had the plant for at least 5 or 6 yrs it blooms with 6 spikes every winter without fail!!!! my Mom hates the smell of the flowers so i have to get rid of it. Cant wait to Get my own place LOL :biggrin:

Cattleya17, with Phals, I really don't recommend trimming roots. If there were any kind of emergency type of situation where the leaves completely fell off the plant before the roots are able to recover from the trimmngs; your plant could end up being in serious trouble. If the root trimming was severe enough, and if there were any situation where the leaves on the plant all fell off, the likelihood that the Phal will not survive may be very high.

Many types of epiphytical and lithophytic orchid roots can not only absorb water and nutrients for the plant to use, but it can also photosynthesize and therefore can create energy resources for the plant should it need them, as well as store some of the starches from the photosynthesis happening within the roots, and store the water and nutrients that are absorbed by the roots. These reserves can come in handy for the orchid in the case of an emergency.

I don't recommend cutting the roots off of any of the Pleurothallids (Masdevallia, Dracula, Pleurothallis, Stelis, Lepanthes, etc.).

Nor do I recommend cutting any of the roots off Bulbophyllums.

I highly recommend against trimming the roots off of any of the pseudobulbless Zygopetalinae.

The same goes for several different genera of terrestrial orchids. Most terrestrial orchids don't have very many roots to begin with.

This list can get pretty extensive, so I'll stop right here.

I learned that lesson the hard way. I've had some plants of the said group crash on me after trimming off dead roots (you heard me right). Nowadays, I leave all the roots alone when repotting, even if they're dead. :shock:

Thanks guys for all the help!! i truly appreciate you quick and very helpful responses!

I repotted the phal and only trimmed off the dead roots, which there were very very few of, i must say i am relieved about that! The roots jut wrapped around and around! some roots circled the pot three times over! i untangled the root ball and the roots were the longest i have ever seen ever!

I set the plant at my knee and the roots dangled almost to my ankles!!!! im about 5'9 or 5'10 so they were long....haha.

The length of the roots presented a bit of a challenge, granted i should not have untangled the root mass i wish i jut took the medium out and stuffed the root ball with the new. Because i untangled the roots it made it harder to set the plant in the pot correctly, so i jut wrapped the roots back up and filled it in. i am happy with the repotting. When they say compact miniature they must only mean the leaves because the roots really are not miniature to say the least