Root question
 

Just a small question that sounds stupid but how can I see which roots are really dead. Do they turn brown on watering?? How do you guys remove them.

Just from my limited experience.... dead roots feel limp and just don't have any substance to them. Healthy roots are generally green (or whitish green) and plump and firm. Dead roots are brown, shriveled and kind of collapse easily. :scratchhead:

What are you doing exactly? Something wrong with your vanda roots? Take pictures! :photo: These folks can tell you if there's anything wrong.

Here it is again - Roots
I hope this helps you :)

The plant was this way when I got it. It actually is growing new roots and such. I just don't know for sure how dead roots looks like (super orchid newbie :blushing: ). I read the info on the link, very helfull info. I also post a pic of my roots and rectangled the areas I believe the roots are dead. Enjoy the foto :)

For the most part, your roots look pretty healthy. Healthy, living roots usually turn green when the velamen (outer covering of root) gets wet - with water, rainfall or high humidity. The tips of live roots are also green or green-red.

Some vandae have 'sucker' roots as shown in the marked areas of your photo. Use a very sharp knife or scissors (sterilized) to cut these away. Also remove any root that is mushy, dessicated or brittle when wet.

PS not all the 'suckers' are dead on your plant. Before cutting them away, see if the velamen turns from white to green when you water them. These 'suckers' are actually branches of the main roots and bring nourishment to the plant as long as they're alive.

Does it hurt anything to just leave them there? Just curious.

Nature has a way of taking care of things that are dead and decaying so normally, I would say no harm done by leaving it as it is. On the other hand, in a greenhouse or a home environment, well-groomed plants not only look better, but they are usually disease and pest free.

I've got a few with a little bit of dead roots, it doesn't hurt anything.....it also gives the lizards something to climb, so they dont break your good roots. They usually die like that when the plant is stressed from a change of environment, since the roots aren't protected. It's just it's way of adaptation, or evolution on a smaller scale, if you will. The new roots will be adeapted to the new climate.

Thnx all for replying. The problem with those brown roots is that they are very woody and hard. So when I water with the bucket method they pull on the healthy roots. im affraid those roots will snap because of this.

Btw, just for curiosity. what is the difference between sucker roots and the other ones. I also see very thick fat short roots, Medium but very long roots and ultra long thin roots. Do they all have different functions. Does the plant actually store water inside the fat ones?

I probably should not have called them 'sucker' roots. In reality, the perform the same function as 'normal' roots - take up moisture and nutrients and provide an anchor for the plant mass. Roots increase their surface area by getting longer and thicker, but also by branching. (Some growers actually force branching with the machete technique - that is, they'll cut off a foot or more roots on a plant that has 5 to 6 foot long roots).

The very hard, woody roots on your plant are probably no longer alive so it wouldn't hurt to snip them off at the base.

From my experience, I would suggest that you leave any kind of root that stays on the plant alone. I have this vandaceous orchid that has roots looking so dry and thin, yet it started to put out tiny roots from these dead-looking roots. You don't have to worry about dead roots, with enough wind and dryness they will just snap off. It's the rotting ones that you'll have to look out for though!

Guess Ill have to leave them alone in this case then. Roots are beginning to grow from everywhere :) looks like the plant has adapted to my cold dark room. Does more sunlight encourage rootgrowth?