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Originally Posted by msrebekahjane
I observe brownish looking sort of tubular structures underneath the stem. Are these alive? Is there a root filament or something inside them? Are they dead and ok to cut off? Is there something in the archives? I don't know what to call them.
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Hi there! It would be good to look at some pictures of orchid roots and phalaenopsis orchid structures so you can figure out what you're looking at.
On a phalaenopsis orchid, the roots are actually a long white filament surrounded by a fleshy cortex and velamen. Most people refer to everything on the outside of the root as velamen - but technically "velamen" is only the outermost layer. The cortex stores water for the orchid and it feels firm when it's filled with water. The velamen turns from silvery whitish to green when it's soaking up water. Roots in the center of the pot are sometimes whitish or yellow, this is normal. If they're firm, they're alive and healthy - they're not green because they haven't been exposed to light and therefore the cells didn't photosynthesize.
Anyway, the tubular structures you're talking about are probably old roots. If they're empty and completely flat or papery when you feel them, this means the cortex has died and is no longer storing water. If they're squishy it means the cortex is dying or has had too much water and become very soggy. Depending on the extent of damage, sometimes it can recover. If it's firm it often means the velamen ( tissue on the outside) may have died but it is still storing water for the plant. I don't touch anything that's firm because it's still a good root. If it's black it means it's died and is decomposing.
Because the actual root is the white inner core, a root can have living zones and dead zones in the same root. Sometimes a root doesn't look perfect, might have black or brown spots here and there, but it's still functioning well and storing water for the plant. It's natural for some roots to turn brown on the outside over time as they're getting older.
Once you understand these concepts you will have a much better understanding of what is okay and what is not. I have seen way too many newbies cut off perfectly good roots, leaving the poor orchid without anything which to support itself.
Whether to cut roots or not depends entirely on your conditions, your potting media, and your environment. if your environment is wetter or colder ( or both!) you might have more issues with decay inside the orchid pot. Others don't cut because the stringy core might still be functioning to absorb some water, or the core is still alive and can possibly produce a living section. If your environment is dry enough and/or your pot is airy enough leaving roots won't cause you issues.
I would say, if you are a beginner, without knowing your environment, you can safely cut away roots that are papery or completely flat, or things that are black and squishy. However if a root doesn't look perfect but is still firm, leave it. It's still storing water for the plant. If there's a question of leaving a root versus cutting I always leave it.
Hope this helps!!
Phalaenopsis Roots
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