Girdled root pics!!
 

I think I figured out how to get pics off my new camera, and took some pics of some of my phal roots, which I think might have 'Thrips'. :shock: I got some Sucra Shield from Ray, but it seems to be spreading. HELP!!:help

It looks more like mechanical damage to me. I don't think it's thrips.

What do you mean 'mechanical' damage? This problem was just with one phal, on a few roots but has spread to many, and now I see another one that is near proximity to it is also showing this symptom. I do have to take each one off the shelf I grow them on and flush them at my kitchen sink twice a week. Do you mean that moving them could be doing this?

I was thinking that it looks more like damage from breaking roots when they're too dry. But if it's spreading, I could be wrong and maybe it is an insect. It just doesn't look like it to me. Thrips usually cause a wider, flat brownish section. But that's just my opinion. Sometimes misting the aerial roots occasionally will keep them more hydrated and less likely to break.

The roots just look dehydrated to me, they're aerial roots so the low humidity probably caused this. No need to worry.

I'd say Def damage from dehydration, the air roots of Phals get damaged like this when there's not enough moisture in the air to keep them hydrated and they get brittle. You often see this type of damage on roots in big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot. I would suggest misting them heavily and if possible increase humidity around the plant.

Thanks for all the replies, but I have to add that what happens eventually at the end piece of a girdled root is that it turns yellowish and is totally dead. And, I have 70% and higher humidity fairly consistently in here. I have other phals on the same shelf of glass, a few feet away, and they're in no way looking like this. I've had all these orchids for several years now. They are in S/H, have circulating air, and especially over the summer months, it's often too humid for comfort. The one I sent pics of starting looking like this around 6 months or so. ???

Hmmm ... looks to me like when the roots stop growing for a while, the start again ...

^+1 ..I also think it looks like when roots stop growing, and then start growing again, & it could also be some mechanical damage as well, or a mix of the two.

In this link, on page 6 they show what thrip damage to roots look like: (you can see the difference)
http://www.houstonorchidsociety.org/...ySueBottom.pdf

I agree. It looks like they are dehydrated and all I can see is either some mechanical damage or places where the root stopped growing and started again. Good luck!