Orchid roots crawled out of the Pot

Orchids are one of the most unpretentious plants to care for. I grow several types of these exotic flowers and know firsthand about the peculiarities of their cultivation.

In general, the roots that have crawled out of the pot are a little aesthetic sight, but if there is such a problem, there is no need to worry ahead of time. First of all, it should be remembered that these are just the physiological characteristics of the plant.

In the natural environment, protruding roots are a kind of support for a flower and a source of nutrition.

In indoor conditions, this reflects some of the problems of care.

The fact is that the root system of orchids develops gradually, passing through 3 periods:

• growth, when young roots adapt, grow to the substrate;
• branching: when dividing the roots, the plant needs a large area for normal development and nutrition;
• dying off of shoots: at this time, the old roots dry out, giving way to young shoots, which are actively introduced into the soil.

Thus, the appearance of aerial roots signals a lack of one of three components: light, oxygen, or nutrients.

To solve this problem, you need to carefully examine the plant and understand what it does not like. Perhaps this is a cramped pot, location on a dimly lit windowsill, or improper watering.

We organize the right care for the orchid

The first thing to look out for is having the right pot. In general, transparent pots are optimal for orchids.

Since they not only transmit the light necessary for plants, but also allow you to observe the development of the plant, its root system, substrate, without disturbing the flower. The material can be different: plastic or glass.

It is better to choose a new container with a diameter 3-5 cm larger than the previous one, depending on the volume of the flower. Drainage holes are required. Rinse the pot well before moving the plant.

In this case, you can only delete clearly unnecessary elements, weak or worn out.

If the shoots are healthy, then you need to adjust the frequency of watering:

• if they are few or not at all, then we begin to water more often:
• in the presence of 3-5 processes, we leave the moisture at our level;
• if there are 7-10 or more of them, we reduce the frequency of watering.

Too many roots require more careful attention. Problems here must be looked for in other areas.

For example, it may be necessary to remove some elements of the roots, treat the plant or replace the substrate.