The condition of the roots of oohidea
Orchid roots should be checked regularly for damage or other problems. Improper care or other reasons can affect the onset and development of diseases at the roots of an orchid.
Orchid root condition
What you need to know about orchid roots
The appearance of aerial roots is an indicator of the state of phalaenopsis.
Broken aerial root
To understand what dead roots look like in orchids, you should study their structure and features. Epiphytic orchids have a feature according to which they consist of 3 parts:
- the root is thin, strong, light green;
- velamen - a layer covering the roots;
- growing tip - up to 1 cm long, translucent.
They are not naked and completely exposed, they resemble a wire, it is not easy to break them. With the disappearance of moisture from the velamen, the roots of the orchid outwardly dry out and shrivel. Healthy are distinguished by elasticity, they are firm, smooth, gray and green. If they are shriveled, this does not mean that they are missing or dying. They should not be watered for several days, sprinkle the place of breakage or damage with charcoal. As a result, they recover, and the plant continues to grow.
Drying of aerial roots
If the aerial roots of the orchid begin to dry out, bad consequences arise for the root system, in which the pupation occurs, it rots, the flower dies and requires prolonged resuscitation.
At the same time, some leaves wither, others wither, turn yellow, children on plants fall off, the plant does not bloom, flowers fall off. If their tips turn reddish, active root growth is observed. If the roots come out of the pot, the flower, with their help, receives moisture from the air and participates in the processes of photosynthesis.
Causes of root damage
- watering with hard water - leads to the accumulation of salts at the root system, because of this, they pupate and become salted; Velamen undergoes ruptures, ceases to accumulate moisture, if the roots have nude, they acquire a brown coating and begin to dry out;
- low temperature - leads to the appearance of frozen parts of the plant;
- bad light;
- poor quality substrate - plants grow comfortably in a special substrate at home, not in ordinary soil;
- fertilizer burns are dangerous for the plant, from an overdose it can lose both healthy aerial roots and roots inside the substrate.
Temperature drops, dryness of the substrate - all this affects the condition of the flower roots. If the methods of treatment are determined in time and measures are taken, the flower is subject to salvation.
Reanimation of the root system
If the phalaenopsis still has several small roots, it must be planted in another container with fastening, so you can stimulate its recovery.
If 95-98% of the roots are absent, there are few living ones, it remains to make other attempts to restore the flower.The plant can be rescued, its root system will look stronger over time, and it will bloom.
Before resuscitation, preparatory work should be carried out:
- prepare a cutting tool, it is treated with alcohol for disinfection;
- pruning - remove parts of the root system that have died, leaving a living root;
- the places of the cuts are treated with preparations - powder fungicide, crushed charcoal, or cinnamon.
Greenhouse
It is possible to save the roots
It makes it possible to save living roots at home; to create greenhouse conditions, they use:
- a cut plastic bottle of 5 or 10 liters;
- aquarium.
Natural conditions are created for the flower: warmth, diffused lighting, optimal humidity. The greenhouse is placed in a lighted place, the sun is avoided, the temperature is maintained at 22 280 C.
Expanded clay is poured into the container, sphagnum is added and phalaenopsis is added on top. A place to grow epiphytic roots in moss. Every day, the greenhouse is ventilated, and a glass of hot water is placed inside the bottle or aquarium to maintain a stable humidity level.
This method has a positive effect on the appearance of new roots in phalaenopsis after 14 days; with proper care, it will have strong roots. The transplant is carried out into a pot after the roots reach 4-5 cm in length.
In water
The roots of a damaged or diseased flower are grown in water. But here it is also important to know the rules for preparing the liquid and the method of soaking the roots.
Alternating soaking and drying
Method conditions:
- illuminated place for an orchid, without direct rays of the sun;
- air temperature 25-26ºC.
Phalaenopsis is installed in a transparent container with water, the base of the roots is located above the bottom. Every morning, water is poured to the bottom, the roots should be in it. After 6-10 hours, the water is drained, the flower has the ability to dry the roots until morning. In the morning, the procedure is repeated.
Always in the water
The flower is constantly in the water, the liquid changes after 5-6 days. The method occupies one of the last positions, and is not suitable for this type, it should be expected for a long time when the flower takes root, they are constantly wet, come off, meanwhile they begin to rot, do not adapt well to substrates after transplantation.
Above the water
This method of building is similar to drying and soaking, but in a slightly different form. The plant is placed in a container with water, the base of the roots is above the water and does not touch it. The container is closed.
Every day, the plant must be removed in the morning, rinsed with roots in sugar water for an hour, allowed to dry and transplanted back into a container above water.
Up by the roots
The method is used when the leaves are immersed in the water, and not the bases of the roots of the phalaenopsis. A plant is placed in a container with water, the leaves are immersed in a third of the water. The base of the roots is in the air.
The top of the plant is sprayed daily with warm water. The first roots will grow in 30-40 days.
The appearance of the first roots allows you to transplant the orchid into a transparent pot, in which there is sphagnum moss for further growth. In phalaenopsis, the root system is actively growing, new living leaves are preserved and appear.
In the substrate
Root regrowth can take a year
The method of restoration in the substrate is suitable for plants with small roots (2-3 cm), but even without them at all.
Features of the method:
- substrate moisture, without excess moisture;
- spraying the leaves with a solution with vitamin B1.
For growing phalaenopsis roots, ordinary land will not work, types of substrates are used:
- tree bark;
- a mixture of fine expanded clay, crushed bark, sphagnum;
- tightly rammed sphagnum.
If the plant did not have roots, regrowth will last up to a year. In phalaenopsis with roots, new ones grow faster.
On the bark
Phalaenopsis is fixed on a piece of bark, to stimulate growth, it is treated with a special solution with vitamin B1. Watering, spraying the flower is not necessary.
The plant can be cured, the roots begin to appear after 90 days or more, it begins to grow again.
Growth stimulants
The orchid will develop a root system if growth preparations are used:
- Ribav-Extra;
- Zircon;
- Radifarm;
- Etamon.
Drug solutions are prepared with the addition of water.
Green root
A dry leaf came off the flower, its beautiful leaves fell off or she threw them off, while the processes of photosynthesis and evaporation of moisture are not carried out, the rescue function should be applied. If the rhizome is healthy, the orchid can absorb all the nutrients it needs to regenerate. A young flower with a weak old root system and a small aerial part is more susceptible to death than a flower with a massive stem and shoots.
The stem died
If all the leaves fell off, the stem died, you should check the root system for damage. If you have green buds at the root collar, you should try to restore the aerial part and start treating the flower. For this, a fertilizing with a high nitrogen content is introduced, a growth stimulator is added and the roots that have reappeared in the orchid and the renewal of other parts are expected.
Growing new roots
The flower takes root if growth preparations are used. Preparations and substances are used as additives to the water used to build up the roots:
- Ribav-Extra;
- Zircon;
- Radifarm;
- Etamon;
- Fitosporin;
- root;
- honey;
- sugar;
- any B vitamins.
To improve the condition of the flowers, the leaves are wiped with a solution of succinic acid. It affects the increase of immunity, restoration of vital processes, activates the growth of roots, stimulates the growth of green shoots.
Conclusion
Orchid roots are demanding and capricious to care for. They should be given a lot of attention, create optimal conditions for their development: temperature, humidity, proper watering, feeding, protect from damage. With a combination of all factors and rules of care, the root system will be strong, the flower will delight with flowering and beauty.