White roots on a mini phal

[Mere313]

I decided to repot the mini phal I purchased a couple of months ago. It was originally potted in spagnum moss and I was concerned about the center not drying out enough. I'm really glad I did. The moss was so tightly packed, there was no way the roots in the center had any room to breathe.

My concern is that some of the roots in the middle are white instead of the normal gray-green. They seem firm to the touch and not mushy. i'm thinking that because of how packed they were in the moss, there was no way for the roots to photosynthesize and produce chlorophyll which is why they're white instead of green. Are the white roots still functioning roots or should I cut them off? Thanks!

[silken]

If they are firm, don't cut them off. They all look healthy to me. Usually they turn green when wet so you could try that. But from the picture, they all look good and I would just re-pot in a pot that has good drainage and is not too big as over potting can cause root rot.

[astrid]

I have a hunch (but this may not be factual) that the middle white roots haven't had an opportunity to undergo photosynthesis, so they've gone white rather than maintaining a green color.

All my center phal roots tend to be light yellow or whitish rather than green, and this is my idea as to why. Whether or not it is correct is another thing!

Silken is right, though. Don't cut off roots that are mushy, or feel hollow and papery, or pull off the central "string" when wet. These are dead, and members of this board like to remind me "where there is death there is rotting" - meaning cut off anything dead!

[Mere313]

Thanks for the responses! These pretty much go along with my line of thinking, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to get some confirmation.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Yes, the white or yellow-white roots are healthy and perfectly functional.