Phal root question

[skipper]

When I have repotted some of our new Phals, I see some black areas on some of the roots. Below the black area there can a be nice green root section growing. Does mean the root is ok, or should I cut the root above the black area? Do any Phals have all green roots growing, with no questionable areas at all? I know what dead and soft roots look like, but this seems to be a gray area for me. Also some roots seem to be broken along the root and be held together by the small white "string" in the center of the root. Is this root good, or should it also be cut away above the break? Thanks

Dale

[koshki]

Skipper, welcome to Orchid Geeks!

About the phal roots...freaky, eh? I just repotted my beloved Dtps. Minho Princess 'Flying' yesterday. It had been in Mayres mix for about 18 months, and a couple roots on the top of the medium were rotted, and the plant was getting a little top heavy and wobbly, so I decided to repot.

Well, I got those babies out of the medium, and even though the parts of the roots that were at the surface were rotted away, they continued on into the pot and were huge! Everything inside the medium was big ol' fat gorgeous roots! I didn't have any one rotted root on the interior.

So, to answer your question, yes they are still good roots!

Yay for Mike's Miracle Mix, lol!

[katrina]

Katherine's right...as long as there is green and plump below...they are good. A damaged root will often branch and/or continue to grow below the damaged area. Not uncommon at all.

Yes, you can have all good roots....where there is no black or mushy or bruised anywhere. If there is no bruising during a repot and/or if the conditions at the root zone are ideal for the plant.

[Dendian]

Yup, the green firm roots are good roots. That "string" in the middle is how the plant transports the water and nutrients from the roots to the plant. When the root dies - that is usually all that is left (it doesn't rot very easily). I have some "perfect" roots - but all too often they snap or get bent at one spot - and turn black there.

If you have a lot of good fat healthy roots then you can remove the ones with the string holding them together, it may die sometime soon anyway. But if you don't have a whole lot of good roots then keep these until the next repot when hopefully you will have a lot of very good roots to replace them.

[skipper]

Thanks for the information. This will make it alot easier for furture repotting.

Dale