Cut the roots of orchids

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Orchids are beautiful houseplants and a real eye-catcher on the windowsill. There are a few things to consider when cutting the roots.

Orchids need healthy roots

If the orchids thrive well, they get a lot of roots. Some even hang outside the pot, which are called aerial roots.

The magnificent Phalaenopsis also absorb nutrients and water from the air. In their countries of origin, such as Asia, some orchids thrive on trees. Since they are therefore "earthless", the aerial roots are part of an ingenious system of food intake.

Some owners disturb these structures and want to cut them off. Then you should remember that these are the lifelines of plants. And that every cut or break indicates a wound that is susceptible to pathogens and consequently to diseases.

How to Properly Prune Orchids

Basically, you only cut off unusable parts of the plant from the orchids. It doesn't matter whether it's a root in the air or in a pot. Every cut with your sharp knife is an operation that you must properly perform. Ideally, you should use a sealing paste to close the wounds.

  1. Disinfect the tool. Disinfect the knife with spirit or high percentage alcohol during and after cutting. This will prevent the transmission of viruses, bacteria and fungi.
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    2. Repot the Phalaenopsis

    You have to repot a Phalaenopsis regularly in order to provide it with sufficient nutrients ...

  2. Remove rotten roots. Use a sharp knife to remove rotten, dead, damaged, brown, mushy or translucent strands.
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  3. Remove dark spots. If there are already dark areas, this indicates a bacterial infestation. Remove these dark areas with the knife until only healthy plant tissue is left.
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  4. Separate the bulbs. If the orchids already have several bulbs (at least six) on the aerial roots, separate the old ones without leaves. Make sure that the aerial roots of the plant do not dry out.
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  5. Close wounds. Discard the cut roots and then treat the wounds. Use a sealing paste to expertly close the wound on the aerial roots.
  6. Don't cut leaves. Avoid cutting withered leaves or flowers. These detach themselves from the plant and new flowers bloom at this point.
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With orchids in particular, you may only remove damaged and diseased roots, otherwise you will seriously disrupt the development of the plants. That is why you have to cut each and every cut at the orchid Carry out cleanly and correctly.

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