Cutter Recommendation
 

Can recommend a good cutter for cutting dead leaves and dead roots?

Hey there! From what I've learned on the board any pruning tools are ok as long as they are sterilized first. I spray mine with isopropyl alcohol and let dry before I prune any of my plants... Not just orchids. Others will probably chime in but I let the leaves drop on their own unless there is an indication of disease. The orchid will seal itself better than trying to treat the cut yourself.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, any cutter or pruning tools can do the job but some come with straight blades while some are not. Wondering which is best for orchids?

I have used both curved shears and straight depending on the situation. Sometimes roots have been too tight for the curved shears so I use the straight ones but I typically go with the curved. They seems to slice better whereas the straight seem to pinch slightly before cutting. Just my opinion though...

I don't cut off leaves. I wait for them to fall off on their own, or for the leaf to turn completely brown and dry. I will cut off dead leaf tips on thin-leafed orchids. On the rare occasion I have an expanding spot on a leaf, I may cut out just the spot with a very sharp hobby knife, or I may cut off part of the leaf.

I normally use common sharp household scissors for roots and other plant parts.

I don't cut off many roots unless they are soft and squishy. I don't cut off dry, papery roots. It can be very hard to tell which roots are dead, and I don't want to cut off living roots.

Many people put powdered cinnamon on fresh leaf and stem cuts. It has antifungal properties. Don't put it on roots; it can damage them.

Sterilizing cutting tools:. Remember that alcohol will help sterilize for bacteria and fungi. It is not very effective for VIRUS. For chemical sterilization, use trisodium phosphate (TSP), available at hardware stores, chlorine bleach, or another strong oxidant. Oxidants will rust steel that is not stainless, so rinse thoroughly. I usually flame-sterilize cutting blades on the gas stove, until blade glows red, then cool.

Use dollar store stainless scissors for soft tissues that can be clipped, like roots and thin leaves. Thicker leaves, use a very sharp knife, either an Xacto, razor blade, box cutter, or thin paring knife. For most rhizomes, I use the largest dog nail cutters that I can find (grips rhizome well while cutting).

During repotting, there were some mushy roots with the outer skin broken down and I could just easily remove it with my fingers. It left with the inner thin roots inside.

Should I cut off the inner root as well?

I would leave the stringy inner roots alone.

I would do more than just spray with alcohol; a spray can miss spots, and volume-wise if pretty insufficient for killing pathogens. Your best bet is a bleach soak lasting several minutes.

I get inexpensive pruning shears (usually have straight blade). Sterilizing with heat eventually degrades the blade, but if I replace a $10 clipper every 6 months or so, the expense won't change my life... I sterilize with a propane torch flame - no need to get the blade red-hot, just make sure any clinging plant material is thoroughly charred. The flame is well over 3000 deg F., so nothing organic is going to survive more than a few seconds of that. I usually leave leaves alone - they'll drop when the plant is done with them. I usually also leave spent spikes until they are brown since the plant will "recycle" the green tissue after the flowers have dropped. In general, if there is a "cut/don't cut" decision to be made, I tend to come down on the "don't cut" side. Some orchids rebloom on old spikes or canes, sometimes a stem will look dead, only to turn out to be green after it has been cut. So in general, it's better to let the orchid decide when it is done with some "part".