When To Cut Off Orchid Roots

There is so much information available to us on Google, on any subject matter. I am always amazed the people often do not do any research and just start cutting roots. If your orchid has bloomed, you can remove it from the pot and check out the roots and the media. If you have overwatered consistently for months, you can cause a lot of damage to the roots. Most of our orchids have new media because we change the media once every two years. However, overwatering can cause bugs and disease.

If the roots are dark, this does not mean they are dead. They are in a pot, no light, surrounded by media and often roots are a dark brown. They are still useful roots. If they are spongy this does not mean they are dead. It is when the root is all shriveled up and has breaks in it where there appears to be no food getting to the bottom of the root, those are usually dead roots. This is normal. Most orchids have some roots that are not in good shape.

I recently had a lady send me a picture of an orchid where she had cut off all the roots except one. She said they were all dead roots. Two months prior we had sent a beautiful blooming orchid with wonderful and lovely green leaves. She had cut off roots at the top of the plant because she did not like the look of the dried roots. This alone, can stop the blooming process. Then she pulled it out of the pot and cut off all the roots except one and left it in a pile of debris, still with lovely green leaves. I can’t tell you how upsetting that is to see.

Do some research before cutting. Most orchids have good and viable roots that make it possible for the orchid to bloom and have beautiful green leaves. Don’t just cut and kill an orchid because you think the roots are bad. Don’t overwater either. Don’t go to your orchid vendors and ask them to replace it. Orchid shops, companies and growers do not make a lot of money.

Overwatering can finish off a lot of roots. Ask an orchid lover or look up on line, plus there are many YouTube orchid videos. You can ask the orchid vendor before cutting off roots. There are many solutions to helping your orchid progress and grow, but cutting off all the roots save one, is not a solution that will end well. Research if you care about your orchids, so much information to help us all, or send us a message before cutting roots and ask. We are here to help.