Orchid is a tropical plant that naturally grows on the surface of trees, hanging aerial branches of the roots, and through them receives air and water. When planted in a pot, the orchid adapts and gets everything it needs from the soil. But sometimes the roots come out of the plant. This does not always mean that it is sick.
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Reasons for improper root growth
In a normal state, part of the root system is always above the surface of the earth. These roots are called air roots. The number of roots does not really matter. The main thing is that they look healthy.
Abnormal root growth can be caused by several factors. All of them are due to unfavorable conditions for flower growth.
Incorrect temperature conditions
Growing an orchid at too high a temperature can often cause the potted soil to dry out. Because of this, the root system begins to grow intensively in different directions in search of life-giving moisture.
Excessive or insufficient watering
The main reason for the mass formation of aerial roots in orchids is a lack of moisture. To prevent unpleasant processes, you need to monitor the growing conditions of the culture. This is especially true for the winter period.
Often in winter, this problem is caused by heating devices, which, after switching on, quickly dry the air in the room. It stands as sharply as possible in the window sill area, where a flower pot is usually placed. In this case, it is necessary:
- Move the orchid away from radiators.
- Cover aerial roots with moss to maintain natural moisture.
- Water with exceptionally soft water.
Excessive watering can also lead to the growth of aerial roots. Waterlogging causes a lack of oxygen and decay of the root system. Roots begin to crawl out of the pot in order to escape from adverse conditions.
Too dense soil
When using an improperly prepared substrate, such a phenomenon as the formation of aerial roots occurs very often. The reason becomes:
- Weak ventilation of the substrate, due to which oxygen starvation begins.
- If the substrate is too dense, excessive moisture is retained in it, which leads to rotting of the roots.
In this situation, the orchid needs to be transplanted into new soil and the watering regime must be balanced.
Lack of lighting
An insufficient amount of light is also very often the reason for the deterioration of the plant's immunity. This leads to the occurrence of diseases and decay of the root system.
The plant tries to adapt to such conditions. Therefore, it releases a large number of air outlets directed upward.
Orchid help
The first step is to continue to monitor the further development of the flower. It is necessary to create optimal conditions for it. The plant should be provided with proper watering, indoor humidity and sufficient light. If the root system has already begun to take up too much space, then the flower will have to be transplanted. Transplant procedure:
- Wait until flowering ends.
- Remove the flower from the container and place it in water to soften the earth.
- Free the plant from the substrate, carefully so as not to damage the roots, shake them off.
- Remove all dry dead parts.
- Plant the orchid in a larger container so that all the roots are completely covered with the substrate.
After transplanting, it is advisable to place the plant in a shaded place to protect it from direct sunlight. Then water the soil well. But before that, it is necessary to make drainage holes in the pot so that excess moisture can freely go away.
Pruning
If the roots begin to crawl out of the pot, then pruning can be done instead of transplanting. But this should be done carefully. The roots are pruned for better orchid growth and health.
It is necessary to remove rotten and dead processes. If you do not carry out this procedure, then rotting will go deeper, which will adversely affect the development of the flower. Cropping involves the following steps:
- preparation of all the necessary tools;
- search for damaged roots;
- removing unnecessary parts;
- processing of slices.
For pruning, you can use a sharpened knife or a special garden pruner. Before the procedure, the instrument must be disinfected or processed in any antiseptic. If this is not done, then there is a possible risk of infection of the plant through open wounds.
It is undesirable to use ordinary or nail scissors. They can very easily damage the roots and delicate leaves of the plant. It will take a lot of time and effort to recover.
Remove soil from the root system before pruning. In advance, it can be held in water to make it easier to distinguish dead roots from living ones. Cut off those parts that have a gray tint after rinsing with water. This means they are affected by mold or rot.
The root pruning process is carried out as follows:
- You need to moisten all the soil in the pot well.
- Gently remove the plant from the ground.
- Cut off all dry and rotten roots.
- Remove problematic parts.
- Treat the cut sites with a fungicide or potassium permanganate solution.
- Dip the lower sections of the slices into a vitamin solution and hold for 15 minutes. To prepare this solution, you need to mix one ampoule of vitamin B, B1 and B12.
After completing the procedure, the orchid is planted in the same pot. Then it is sprinkled with a substrate in order to better fix it.
It is possible to reduce the level of germination of aerial roots only if the plant is carefully cared for and all the necessary growing conditions. The orchid is a rather capricious culture and does not tolerate indifference to itself.
Do you know why the roots of the orchid crawl out of the pot?
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