Phal with air roots that look choked off!
 

I have what I fear might be Thrips. My phals have long air roots, many that look normal, but many that seem to look like there are tiny bands around sections of the root, and it's choking them to where the end sections are looking almost dead-really dried up looking. Healthy roots should be smooth, but where once these were all healthy, now many are all 'sectioned' off. I saw a photo on the orchid society web site, and there is a photo of trip root damage, and it looks like mine. Anyone know of this? By the way, all my orchids are in S/H. No soil near them. Will spraying with Physan 20 help? :shock::help:help:

Are you able to post a pic?

Is this what you mean by "pinched off"? This is quite common to phals. Or most orchids actually. It is only the outer covering on the root called velamin. Doesn't hurt anything.

Yes-some of the roots look like that- I do have, as in your pic, some that look bent or partially snapped. But there are some that look girdled. Like tiny thin bands are wrapped around the root in sections.

As long as the roots turn green when wet, they're viable. Phal roots can have what looks like 'dead zones' with healthy portions on both sides of the shriveled part. I don't cut a root unless it's completely dead.