Orchid Humidity
Cymbidium devonianum with fat, healthy roots growing straight down through the compost, an obvious sign of a sweet compost. Note that the roots are all round the edge of the compost ball. This particular plant has been repotted for six months, and this is a young root system growing vigorously and capable of taking up maximum moisture. Such a root system should not be allowed to dry out.
The roots on paphiopedilums are quite distinctive, always thick, hairy and brown in appearance. This makes it less obvious to tell live roots from dead ones, but the outer core will easily peel away on any dead roots. Although some paphiopedilums grow epiphytically or lithophytically, they do not produce aerial roots in cultivation, but keep their roots firmly in their pots.
Their own weight will soon cause them to assume a pendent habit, when they become entangled with the canes, often adhering to and growing along their length. These are annual roots, which serve the plant for one season only. They cease growing as the long caned pseudobulbs reach maturity, to die naturally at the same time as the leaves are shed and the plant prepares for its dormant period.
Paphiopedilums growing in their natural environment produce roots that extend for many feet across the surface of a rock face, taking advantage of any crevices or burrowing into surface mosses or forest litter. In this way they obtain sufficient moisture without the danger of becoming too wet.
An explosion of new roots erupts from the base of the new growth, but only after the latter is fairly well developed. New roots always follow new growth. It would have greatly benefited this plant had it been repotted before the growth of new roots, which have now developed as aerial roots. The roots if terrestrial would have found more food in the fresh bark than they can do as aerial roots.
These propagations should be left on the main plant for twelve months, after which time they can be removed and given their own piece of supporting bark. The roots can remain undisturbed and he used to wire the young plant in position. The next season’s roots will quickly adhere to the bark with a firm grip, thus serving the plant in two ways.
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