curiosity questions regarding roots and backbulbs, nothing urgent

[peteMc]

a couple discussions have got me thinking about things, and I'm wondering;

aerial roots like to stay aerial, potted like to be potted; will roots growing through media and encountering air have trouble adapting? (i'm thinking specifically of plants in baskets, but it doesn't really matter)

will backbulbs remain 'back' - producing no new pbulbs - for as long as they remain attached to the main body of the plant? can they be induced to put out new pbulbs safely? i've read about rotating the containers....

just wondering. if anyone has any thoughts, i'd be interested...thanks.

pMc

[Jmoney]

a couple discussions have got me thinking about things, and I'm wondering;

aerial roots like to stay aerial, potted like to be potted; will roots growing through media and encountering air have trouble adapting? (i'm thinking specifically of plants in baskets, but it doesn't really matter)

will backbulbs remain 'back' - producing no new pbulbs - for as long as they remain attached to the main body of the plant? can they be induced to put out new pbulbs safely? i've read about rotating the containers....

just wondering. if anyone has any thoughts, i'd be interested...thanks.

pMc

It seems that roots encountering the air will continue growing if it's humid, but they tend to stop under the low-humidity conditions of the windowsill. For potted orchids, it isn't of much consequence usually, since we focus on watering/fertilizing the pot.

Backbulbs can sometimes put out new growths years later for no good reason...maybe they just feel like it. I've never heard of inducing new growths by turning the pot, but that's not to say it wouldn't work, I just haven't heard of it. One thing that can be done to induce new growth formation off a backbulb (short of slicing it off and sphag & bagging it) is to cut the rhizome halfway, i.e. between a couple of old bulbs and the bulk of the mature plant. New growth will sometimes be induced off the back portion. This is primarily done for those desirable catt clones that just march straight across the pot, never inclined to produce a side growth, but I suppose it can be extended to other genera.

[peteMc]

hmm. thanks, Jason. another chunk of info to file away... appreciate it

pMc

[LJA]

aerial roots like to stay aerial, potted like to be potted; will roots growing through media and encountering air have trouble adapting? (i'm thinking specifically of plants in baskets, but it doesn't really matter)

Pete, if they grow out of the pot then back in themselves, they do fine. I've got one plant where a root came out of the pot at the top, grew around the pot, then grew back into the pot through a drainhole at the bottom. You could practically use the root as a handle. So as long as the plant "did it itself" there's no worry. The only time it's an issue is when the grower takes aerial roots and submerges them, or vice-versa.

As far as backbulbs putting out growth is concerned, my experience (aslo with Cattleyas) has been that, as long the plant has front growth which is thriving, the dormant eyes on backbulbs will tend to stay dormant, unless, as Jason said, you induce them to produce by cutting into the rhizome or seperating them from the plant completely. Also, as a plant matures, it will keep fewer eyes dormant, so backbulbs on those may be completely devoid of any eyes that can produce new growth.

[peteMc]

ah, i see. so a higher percentage of available eyes on front growths will produce on a mature plant; probably best to leave well enough alone, let them be. i'm guessing one of the reasons they are able to produce that way is in fact the existence of all the backbulbs...

i have good humidity here even though i am a 'windowsill' grower, it will be interesting to see how well conditions have been set up for these guys..

thanks for the info
pMc