S/H and Old Pre S/H Roots?

[Rivka]

i have recently started repotted most of my collection into s/h using Hydroton. i read regularly that the old roots will most likely die off and new ones will form.

So there in lies the question of the day:

Is there a need to go back into the pot weeks or months later and remove the dead roots, so that there is not decaying organic matter in the LECA?
And if so, how long after the first repotting into LECA should you think about doing it?

So do folks go in and trim dead roots some time after first putting a chid into s/h?

[jay]

Not all old roots will die. You can usually tell if some old roots have died. In sympodial plants like Cattleya, you might see some of the older bulbs lose leaves or pseudobulbs get a some wrinkles. In Monopodial orchids like Phals you might lose a couple of the lowest leaves. At least this is what I have experienced.

At the same time, I have a couple of Paphs that did not lose a single root. The complex Paphs seem to acclimate better than species or primary hybrids. I think the breeding for strong growth helps them adapt.

If I see some die back, I will go in and check to make sure that as it is losing some of the old roots that it is producing and acclimating with new roots. I still repot every 1-2 years to clean up old dead roots, moss, and a good rinsing for any possible salt build up.

[Ray]

I concur with Jay, pretty much across the board on this one.

Another thing to consider is the similarity or dissimilarity of the before- and after root zone conditions. A plant coming from a very dry medium will have a root system much farther from what is needed for the S/H conditions than does a plant coming, for example, from a wet medium like sphagnum.

For plants with extensive root systems that are very ill-prepared for S/H, I will sometimes follow the same course of action as Jay, repotting, and cleaning up the medium to get rid of an excess accumulation of dead matter. For the most part, however, if you do a decent job of your overall culture, and water correctly and sufficiently, any dead tissue will decompose, releasing any nutrient value, and will be flushed out of the pot.

[Rivka]

Good info Thanks guys