Proper root inspection

[SaraJean]

So I bought 4 new orchids that are in opaque plastic pots. The plants themselves appear to be healthy, none are in bloom yet or throwing out flower spikes, but I would like to inspect the roots. How do I do this with out screwing up the root systems? Can I gently pull the plant out, try my hardest not to disturb the roots or the growing media, and place it back in its original pot? Or do I take a more wait-n-see approach and if the plants start to look funky, then pull it out of its pot and look at the roots. I also might need to re-pot my Sharry Baby but I will wait until I can post pics to get some advice on that.

Thanks!

[Orchid Whisperer]

Hi Sara Jean

First, you can try this. Pick the plant up by the leaves and/or pseudobulbs. If the pot comes up with it, that suggests the roots may be good. Next, turn the whole plant up-side-down; look through the drainage holes; can you see roots that look white, silver, green or yellow, and firm? Those should be live roots. Soft or papery roots that are brown or black are dead. A few orchids do have live roots that can be light brown; these should be firm.

If you still can't tell, gently squeeze the sides of the plastic pot. The root mass may loosen enough to remove from the pot for inspection. If it won't loosen, it is best to assume the roots are healthy and therefore are tightly keeping the plant in the pot.

[SaraJean]

Thanks, I will do that this afternoon. The only experience I have had was with a phal that was in a clear net pot. Seeing all of my new orchids in non net ones made me nervous! Since I don't expect any blooms for probably a year so I really wanted to focus on the root systems- making sure they are healthy and beefing them up.

[bil]

I repot automatically. The number of orchids that I have bought with lousy roots is very high..

That includes orchids that had to be pulled out of the pot by force.

[MariaB2015]

Hi, I am looking for the advice. Every time I buy an orchid I run into the same problem: after about month or two, plant`s roots fade and do not look as green and lush. I tried to water only when soil (bark, moss) is almost dry; I feed every 10-15 days, but it is still does not look as healthy as used to.

[wintergirl]

Originally Posted by MariaB2015

Hi, I am looking for the advice. Every time I buy an orchid I run into the same problem: after about month or two, plant`s roots fade and do not look as green and lush. I tried to water only when soil (bark, moss) is almost dry; I feed every 10-15 days, but it is still does not look as healthy as used to.

Welcome to Orchidboard!

The trick is to actually let them dry and then water. Watch the roots, when they are silvery or white then water. They turn green after watering. When in doubt, wait one more day. It is good to repot any orchid you buy. The media could be old or not suitable to your environment.

Here is a thread about phals that is helpful:

The Phal abuse ends here.

[MariaB2015]

Thank you for the advice.
How do I know what the suitable media for my environment is? I bought orchid mix, which is basically bark and for me it looks like way too big of pieces.
I also cut holes all around the plastic pot for air circulation, I do not know if it is maybe too much and the media dries out quicker cause of it.

[wintergirl]

Large bark with holes in your pot are perfect for your phal. It may dry out a little sooner with newer bark, but go by the roots. Then let your plant soak in warm water for 15 min (either in a bowel or your outer decorative pot). Then let drain really well. About once a month let water run through the pot to flush the plant out. Sometimes I water once every 2 weeks, just depends on how fast they are dry.

[tarev]

New bark media takes awhile to be water retentive, so on the first couple of months especially in summer time, I dunk the root zone in water for a few minutes, at least once a week, then allow to drain. Make sure to run ceiling fan or open windows when possible to allow air circulation.

Adjustments in watering frequency needs to be done as seasons change and depending on type of orchid you are growing. The warmer it is, the faster drying out, so an interval of watering can be every 5 days. During cooler months, interval of watering can be longer since it takes longer to dry out the media. Oncidiums on the other hand, I have always found them thirsty, warm or cool. So a bit more stepped up watering. Sometimes in summer, I can leave the Oncidiums in standing water overnight, since I have them outdoors, they like it. But I do not do that during cooler months.

[wintergirl]

Just watch your roots they will tell you when it is time.