Root tips turning brown...

[NewGrower]

Hello all! I recently started using Lava Rock at my medium and I noticed my Maxis roots would touch the rock and the tip would turn brown and the root would die, now the same thing is happening to one of my Dens! Considering its s/h I know this can happen but I am worried because both of those plants dont have many roots (both had new root growth when I repotted them).
I soaked, bleached, soaked, and rinsed the heck out of the lava rock before I used it so I am not sure what the problem is!
Any advice?

[Mira-Claude]

Do you use any fertilizer?
Sometimes a too high concentration burns the tip of the roots, turning them brown.
Too much salt or heavy water does that too.
That's as far as I know!

[ARodney]

You may need to flush with water or do an Epsom salt flush

[rcb]

I've used Lava rock many times, and I don't soak it first, just a quick rinse to get the dust off. So I'd be surprised if it is something in the Lava rock.

But a question for you, is it the black rock or the red rock? Where I'm getting to is do the Lava rocks get hot due to sun? And is that possibly why the root tips are browning?

Another possibility is that you don't have the plant secured well enough, and as the root tips grow, and the lava rock is rough, the root tips can move with the plant and get damaged and turn brown at the tips.

Just a couple other possibilities, brown root tips do not always mean a high salt content.

[Leafmite]

My max-ten did this as well but I left it in the lava rock and it is doing very well, now, with very vigorous growth, rootwise and new additions. Maybe keeping it still and using only rain, dehumidifyer or distilled water for a while, as others are suggesting, will help it get established. I hope yours is soon doing as well as mine.
Good luck!
Leafmite

[NewGrower]

The Dens roots seem to be rotting off while the Maxis one long root turned brown at the end then shriveled up. I am going to put less water in their trays and see if that helps (at least for the Den, I think it is keeping it toooo wet).
Thanks for the advice!
My plants are in the red rock and its on a patio that has no direct sunlight, I dont think its getting to hot from the sun out there!

[katrina]

Like Renee mentioned, roots that move around can get damaged and bruised which could make them die back.

Another thought...You say it's s/h? Is the lava actually wicking the water up? I ask because I've seen this die-back on a few of my mounts. They were/are plants that like really high humidity and being mounted the roots weren't/aren't getting enough moisture....thereby going brown and dying back. One of my Aerangis is horrible w/this problem.

[NewGrower]

Yes I was actually thinking the problem that it is TOO moist, so I dont think its due to drying out. I had just recently repotted them so maybe its from damage, hopefully its not something worse lol

[Leafmite]

I don't have either my phal-den (in very large lava rock/plastic net pot) or max-ten in s/h so I can't say if this works or not. I do know that when I make cuttings of my jasmines and other plants, it is important to keep them very, very still until they have roots that keep them from moving in the pots. If my spouse or kids bump them a few times, I might as well go and make new cuttings. I try to give my orchids the same treatment, staking them if they move the slightest, then not moving them, until they are established. With the lava rock, I rinse off all the dust with tap water, rinse with rain or dehumidifier water and then soak in the rich stuff from my container goldfish/lily pond (only filled with rain, snow and dehumidifier water). I'm about to do some rinsing now to prepare for my new orchids that are set to arrive. Good luck, hope you figure out what's wrong!
Leafmite

[katrina]

Originally Posted by NewGrower

Yes I was actually thinking the problem that it is TOO moist, so I dont think its due to drying out. I had just recently repotted them so maybe its from damage, hopefully its not something worse lol

I can't speak for the Den as I don't know what kind it is but most of my Maxies love moisture. I have them in sphag and it never dries out so I can't see too much moisture being a problem w/a Maxie in lava.

I'd look at the bruising more than moisture for the Maxie.