Are aerial roots of Phalaenopsis still useful after being cut off?

Several plump white"little whiskers" have popped out from outside the Phalaenopsis pot. I looked it up and found out they are aerial roots. So can these things actually be cut? If they are accidentally broken off, are they still useful?

The aerial roots of Phalaenopsis"can be cut, but it is not necessary to cut them, and you definitely should not cut them carelessly." You first need to understand what these aerial roots are for - Phalaenopsis in the wild originally grows on trees, not rooted in soil. These aerial roots are its "hands" and "nose": on one hand, they can grip the bark to anchor itself; on the other hand, they can directly absorb water and oxygen from the air, and even help with photosynthesis. So if the aerial roots are not damaged and are still green and plump, keeping them is only beneficial to the orchid, and there is no need to cut them at all.

So when do they actually need to be cut? Only in two situations. One is when the aerial roots have rotted, turned black, or dried up like firewood sticks and crumble at a pinch. At this time you have to cut them, because keeping them will attract pathogens and also waste the orchid's nutrients; the other is when the aerial roots have grown too messy and are all tangled together, affecting ventilation around the pot, or when the home space is small and it looks bothersome. At this time you can trim them a little. When cutting, also pay attention: do not yank them off with your hands. Find a pair of sterilized scissors (just wipe them with alcohol), cut close to the base of the healthy root system, and after cutting it is best to apply some carbendazim to the wound to prevent infection.

Now let's talk about what everyone cares about more: are broken aerial roots still useful? Look at it in two situations. If they were just broken and the wound is still fresh, not rotten and not dried out, then there is still a chance to save them. You can find a small transparent cup, put some water in it, and soak the lower half of the broken aerial root in the water (do not soak all of it, leave half in the air), place it in a spot with scattered light, change the water once a day, and maybe after a few days it will grow new fibrous roots. When that happens, just move it back into the original pot. But if after breaking, the wound was not treated in time, has dried out, turned black, or has already begun to rot, then it is basically useless. Keeping it may still cause problems, so just cut it off.

Here I also need to remind everyone of a misunderstanding: do not think that because aerial roots growing outside do not look good, you should cut them all off. Especially for beginners, if you cut off all the healthy aerial roots, the Phalaenopsis cannot absorb water and oxygen, and it will easily wilt, or even have root rot. During usual care, if you see that the aerial roots are slightly dry, there is no need to be nervous. Just spray some water around them, and do not directly water the wound; if the aerial roots grow too long, there is also no need to rush to cut them. Letting them grow naturally is actually better.

The aerial roots of Phalaenopsis are nota "burden", but its "helpers". If you can avoid cutting them, then do not cut them. If you really must cut, then choose the damaged ones to cut; as long as broken aerial roots have not rotted, there is still a chance to save them. The key to growing orchids is to follow their habits, so that Phalaenopsis can grow vigorously and bloom abundantly.