Question

Orchid roots   QUESTION: I've asked you about my Phalaenopsis recently with concern about its offshoot with buds because the original spike was dying away, so I wanted to know if the buds would bloom or just drop. Well I decided to go ahead and repot it in a fir bark/sphagnum moss mix (it has been in the same sphagnum moss it came with when I got it just over a year ago) and during the process, I noticed MOST of its roots rotted/died.

I went ahead and cut them all away using sterilized sharp scissors (did not put cinnamon on the cut areas) and potted it up. The spike started drying past the offshoot, so I just cut it off (it makes me sad that I won't see it bloom until it spikes) and topped that cut with ground cinnamon, hoping this would help the plant focus its energy on rebuilding a healthy root system.

Remembering the condition of the roots and stem kept bothering me, so I decided to take it back out and take pictures of it and came to you for some help. I then cut away as much of the black i could and all the parts I didn't cut last time, tried to pick as much of the dead remains of leaf that were still on it, removed it's lowest leaf (leaves are all not as stiff as they should be, but this one was a little worse than the others; the top baby leaf is as stiff as it should be) to the fullest extent I could without harming the actual stem (doing this revealed a root that was growing but didn't make it past the leaf I removed), washed the roots with room temperature water, and proceeded to take pictures of them which I've attached.

After taking the pictures, I sprinkled ground cinnamon on all the areas I cut, and potted it back up in the same potting medium. I was told by many to do this to prevent infection, but then someone told me that cinnamon retards root development- is this true? If so, what should I do?

What concerns me is that the only roots that are alive are either near the bottom of the stem or two aerial roots near the leaves. All the area in between has so much black that I couldn't remove it without fearing I'd harm the stem of the plant, and all the roots that were there died away... Is this normal? What can I do to improve the condition of my orchid?

Also, I have a close-up of one of its fully grown aerial roots, there seems to be a brownish color spreading on it, and the tip dried away (the tip has been like that for a while, so I'm not concerned about that), but at the point where it emerged from the stem to about 1/3 of its length it's as green as ever; is everything ok with it? And the little aerial root just stopped growing from the time I had concerns about the offshoot blooming, but it still has a light green tip, is it okay?

Also, I cut the stem back to just above the first node (leaving one full node on it, it is healthy), can an offshoot grow from it?

I've heard about the "sphag-n-bag" method, but would I have to do this? Couldn't I just move the plant to a shaded area (and put a bag over it if necessary), or anything els ethat isn't as complicated???

I live in Toronto Canada (temperatures are at about 10 C or 50 F daily), and my plant is at a west-facing window and gets indirect sunlight. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

ANSWER: Sophia, first to your questions about the roots.  Aerial roots normally stop growing as their growth gets further from the base of the plant-- except in very humid environments. They develop a scar-like tissue to protect the velamin and prevent moisture loss from the roots. So that is normal.  Sometimes it's possible to get the aerial roots into the potting mix but they are very brittle so this may not be wise for longer aerial roots.  Any attempt to insert aerial roots into the pot should be done only after the roots have been soaked to make them less brittle.  I have two other concerns:1) you may need a smaller diameter pot since you lost so many roots and 2) you need to reduce the moss presence in the potting mix as I believe it may be keeping the potting mix too wet.  Consider a pot size that just nicely accommodates the roots-- both in depth and diameter.  Roots do best when the new growth can attach to a surface such as the inner wall of the pot.  I have not heard of cinnamon affecting root growth and, even it were to do so, it is likely to wash out of the potting mix with repeated waterings.

Try to keep close tabs on the temperature near your plant.  The temperature should not fall below 55 degrees F and a combination of low temp (eg 50 degrees f) and wet potting mix is very conducive to root rot.  In general, keep your plant on the dry and warm side.  I think your plant might recover just fine without having to bag it in sphagnum.

With regard to the old flower spike, it might stay green and send out a branch from the node or it might just turn brown and die back.  For now, flowering should not be encouraged as what you want is the plant energy to go into generating new root and leaf growth.  Once you re-establish the plant, avoid disturbing the root zone as roots tend to develop fine hairs that establish themselves on psrts of the potting mix and the pot itself.

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QUESTION: Thank you very much for your prompt and insightful response.
I want to confirm something with you as well. Someone told me my stem is too long, and that I should cut it. But all the live roots are at the end of the stem, so if I did that, I'd cut all its live roots away and have to use its aerial roots instead...
Is this correct, or should I just repot it in a smaller pot with less sphagnum like you said and do the bag/shade/heat thing?
IF it's a better idea to cut it, couldn't I keep the bottom part of it planted and maybe get keikis??
Thank you!

Answer
Sophia, under the circumstances, I would not do any more cutting than necessary.  Try not to cut any live roots and attempt to get as many as possible into the potting mix without damaging them. I would repot it in a smaller, deeper pot so that the plant is in the pot right up to the base of the plant where the flower spike begins. If necessary for stability, you can then insert your plastic pot into a well drained clay pot to keep it upright.  Another trick to help stabilize a plant with few roots is to wrap some twisty wire about the plant and bury it in the potting mix.