Root going into the humidity tray - Orchid Board

temperance · #1 11-21-2009, 08:54 PM

Hi! I'm new to the Board. I bought an orchid from the grocery store last May and now I have over 30 and am completely obsessed.

A few months ago I bought a 10-pack of Cattleya hybrid seedlings from Oak Hills Gardens. I have most of them on a West facing window with 2 42-Watt CFLs. One of them (Empress Bells 'White Sands' x Joyce Hannington) is growing like bananas and taking an increasingly prominent place on the humidity tray.

Should I worry about the healthy root on the left taking a nose-dive into the humidity tray? Will it have the good sense to make a 45 degree turn, thereby averting saturation? Or do I need to take action? Do I need to put it in a bigger pot? Also, should I worry about the sad looking root on the right?

Any advice or help will be greatly appreciated. I'm a *complete* novice.

phearamedusa · #2 11-21-2009, 09:58 PM

Hi Temperance,

don't worry about the root going into the humidity tray. I'd say its a happy plant and keep doing whatever is working for it. I should show you some of the roots on the one in my kitchen window. They now stretch all the way down to the counter by the taps. I'll try to grab a picture for you later tonight if I can remember.

temperance · #3 11-21-2009, 10:13 PM

Hi Phearamedusa -- Thanks so much for your reply. I suspected that I was probably worrying needlessly -- but it's easy for me to do! Would love to see your photos.

phearamedusa · #4 11-21-2009, 11:58 PM

Just some of the crazy roots .... crazy root growth pictures by phearamedusa - Photobucket

Donald · #5 11-22-2009, 10:02 AM

Pretty impressive root systems. Under what conditions are you growing?

phearamedusa · #6 11-22-2009, 07:58 PM

It's a south east window, I don't do anything special to them. I water them maybe twice a week, or when they feel dry/light weight. Fertilizer lightly once a month, or maybe twice, if they really seem to be out doing themselves. I really should transplant a couple into larger pots, but they are in spike again, and I really hate to disturb them when they are doing so well.

Lady Tottington · #7 02-06-2011, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phearamedusa

Just some of the crazy roots .... crazy root growth pictures by phearamedusa - Photobucket

I LOVE IT! Those are awesome and would make me feel so happy to see them! Seriously, I'd be just as happy to see those as to see a bloom!

Becca · #8 02-06-2011, 05:31 PM

I like letting roots do whatever they want to, but after a while they tend to make fitting all the pots next to each other difficult and it's like trying to put a puzzle together. Because I water the plants over the humidity trays like what you have, I don't move them very often but when I do, I find roots have grown from the bottom of the pot into the water in the humidity tray. I like these roots but it makes it very difficult to put them back, and never seem to want to go back just the way they were and usually the root tips end up getting damaged and then die back. But since yours is growing out of the top and over, you may not have that problem....yet!

RosieC · #9 02-15-2011, 06:35 AM

I will just add that roots that grow down into the water are usually happy doing so and don't rot as a result. It's when you take roots grown outside the water and saturate them that you have problems.

Some people even grow certain orchids in water culture though I've not tried it myself.

Ray · #10 02-15-2011, 10:55 AM

Rosie is right: Root cells tailor themselves to the environment into which they are growing.