What to Do About Hollow or Rotten Roots in Wild-Collected Orchids? Beginners, Remember These Few Rules and You Can Avoid It

Why do orchid roots become hollow or rot? Anyone who grows orchids knows that orchid roots are the most prone to problems, but do you know what causes it? And what characteristics do the fleshy roots of orchids have? This article discusses orchid root problems, and Haoshe Farmer explores with friends exactly what causes the above root damage.

First, we know that orchids have fleshy roots. Perhaps this is not very clear put that way. Everyone knows about radishes, right? Radishes are fleshy roots. Fleshy roots contain a lot of water. This is a natural reserve of the plant. When the soil is dry, the plant will automatically drink the water from the fleshy roots, equivalent to a natural reservoir. The center of the fleshy root has a nutrient transport line, through which the plant obtains nutrients from the soil.

Now that we understand the principle of fleshy roots, let's look at what hollow roots in orchids are about. Haoshe Farmer found when growing wild orchids that if we water too little during orchid cultivation, and the moisture cannot keep up with the transpiration of the leaf surface, then the plant will automatically draw water from the fleshy roots. Over time, the fleshy roots will lose too much water and gradually shrivel, thus forming hollow roots.

What about rotten roots? Haoshe Farmer believes that rotten roots are mostly caused by too much water. The fleshy roots cannot absorb it, causing a large amount of water to accumulate in the potting soil, so the potting soil cannot ventilate. Orchids are epiphytic orchids with aerial roots, and root growth needs air. In such an airless environment, orchid roots are essentially unable to breathe, so rotten roots are inevitable.

From this, Haoshe Farmer believes that hollow roots in orchids are mostly caused by lack of water and excessive drought; while rotten roots are caused by too much water and excessive water accumulation in the potting soil.

Of course, things are not absolute. The causes of hollow roots are relatively simple; while too much water causing rotten roots is only one reason. For example, fertilizer burn and incorrectly mixed potting medium are also causes of rotten roots. Orchid growers should gradually explore during orchid cultivation and master the method that suits them best.

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