odd thing about my mounted orchid

[exasperatus2002]

I had a dendrobium a few years ago that I attempted (but failed) to revive from home depot but it did give me a small kieki before it passed on. I mounted the kieki on cork with some new zealand sphag. moss. Its got alot of roots but Im noticing the roots are growing away from the light source (south facing window) and wrapping around the back of the cork slab. Is this normal? I thought the roots would grow in all directions.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by exasperatus2002

...the roots are growing away from the light source (south facing window) and wrapping around the back of the cork slab. Is this normal? I thought the roots would grow in all directions.

Hi exasperatus. You have perfectly normal root behavior. The roots will spread out in all directions from the base of the plant just as yours have done and they will wrap themselves around the mount to anchor the plant.

[fred]

I agree with kmarch looks like normal behavior
I also think your plant is looking nice and healthy as well

BTW welcome to the forum

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

The side of the mount toward the light is probably drying out the fastest. So, since I would expect that the roots would grow toward the moisture, they are probably headed to the average best moisture.

[jerrymeola]

I agree with Cynthia more on this one.

I had a Den overgrown in a pot with lots of roots in the air. Every time I turned it the roots would change direction and grow away from the sun. I did this six times and got a zig zag root system eight inches into the air.. It was certainly a moisture issue.

Note: the overly root bound pot prevented the plant from getting moisture through the roots in the pot. It is not a growing pattern I will ever repeat. Eventually the air roots could not sustain the plant.

[PhalPal]

I have a few mounted Catts and Laelias mounted on cork bark and grown outside. The roots are growing in all directions and many are all the way around the back of the cork where there is almost no light. One reason I like cork bark is for the crevices; with my dry weather they stay moist the longest and the roots tend to follow these little creeks.