How to properly grow strong roots on a baby orchid

Orchid

The easiest way to obtain offspring from a beautiful orchid is by propagation by shoots that appear on a healthy mother plant and are called babies. When a plant sprouts a shoot, it's always a joyful event, but the mere fact of its appearance isn't enough to grow a new flower. Many orchid growers face a common problem: an orchid sprout without roots. What should you do in this case?

Why doesn't the orchid cutting produce roots?

An orchid is an elegant and graceful plant that can inspire pride in any gardener. However, this charming beauty is not easy to care for: orchids are capricious and demanding. However, experienced owners know that it is possible to propagation of phalaenopsis at home subject to a number of recommendations.

Attention!

The ideal method for propagation at home involves allowing the offspring to emerge naturally from the mother plant. Once the offspring develop their own root system, they can be transplanted, as the growing offspring begin to draw vital energy from the parent plant.

Rooting a baby orchid without roots is difficult. The cause is usually a lack of proper care for the finicky mother plant. If you encounter this situation, pay attention to the conditions the "mother" is growing in:

Lighting regime. For healthy development, orchids, especially during the period of shoot emergence, require ample sunlight. Avoid scorching rays, which can burn the delicate plant, but rather soft, diffused light. The recommended daylight hours for phalaenopsis are 12 hours or more. If this isn't possible under natural conditions, consider using grow lights.
Incorrect watering. Monitor the soil moisture in the pot and pay attention to the color of the plant's roots. If they begin to fade, it's time to water. If the plant is growing in an opaque container, the pot walls can be an indicator: when they are dry, the soil needs to be moistened. If the soil is dehydrated, the tiny roots emerging from the shoots will dry out immediately, as the stronger mother plant absorbs all the water. Rooting will not occur.
Fertilizing. The main rule is to choose a fertilizer specifically for this capricious beauty and apply it regularly according to the recommendations. Due to the specific composition of orchid soil, fertilizing should only be done with liquid nutrient solutions that are evenly distributed between the bark fragments and prevent a harmful overdose of micronutrients.

Favorable factors for the appearance of children

In order for an orchid to begin to produce shoots, a number of conditions must be met:

the mother plant must reach “maturity”, the signs of which are the presence of large leaves (at least four) and a sufficiently stable root system;
the most favorable period for reproduction is spring and the first month of summer;
the orchid has entered the final phase of flowering;
the optimal humidity level is 50-60%;
The correct light regime is 12 hours of intense soft light.

If, despite all these factors, the plant doesn't begin producing babies, you can stimulate this process. For example, ensure the air temperature fluctuates between 17°C at night and 30°C during the day. A combination of moderate or even sparing soil watering and sufficiently high humidity helps. You can create a substrate like a tray filled with wet moss, place the pot on it, and plant the baby plant there.

Orchid babies: where do they appear and should they be separated?

All the conditions are right for the mother plant, and finally, the offshoots have appeared. These are exact miniature copies of the mother orchid, and when they reach adulthood, they will have the same size, shape, and flower color. Even while attached to the parent stem, the offspring often looks like a fully formed clone of the mature phalaenopsis—it has leaves, a stem, and may even begin to bloom.

Offshoots can form in various areas:

at the root;
on a peduncle;
on the stem.

It usually takes 4 to 6 months from the time the first leaves appear until the baby orchid is separated. The most important step is for the baby orchid to grow roots. It's best if these roots are several centimeters long. Repotting a young plant while the mother plant is flowering is not recommended. Recommendations for separating the young plant vary depending on where the plant grew.

Separation of the root shoot

Before you begin propagating an orchid by separating a shoot that has grown from the root, you need to make sure that the root system of the young plant is sufficiently developed and that it is ready to begin developing on its own:

Lift the substrate and assess the size of the roots - they should be at least 5 cm long.
Prepare your tools and materials. You will need: sphagnum moss, bark, pruning shears, cinnamon, activated charcoal, and a small pot—a clear plastic container is best.
Carefully cut off the root system of the baby plant from the parent plant using pruning shears.
Treat the cut area with cinnamon or activated charcoal.
Transplant the new plant into a separate pot with previously prepared pieces of bark.

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If a baby appeared on a peduncle

This is the most common method for forming a cutting. Moreover, if the orchid is provided with additional intense light and sufficient humidity and temperature for propagation, several offspring can appear on a single stem. The criteria for the readiness of a young cutting for repotting are the same as for basal cuttings: the presence of its own root system at least 5 centimeters long.

The list of tools is the same in this case: bark, pruning shears, transparent pot, cinnamon, activated carbon, sphagnum.

So, everything is ready to separate the baby. Where to start?

Leaving a gap of about 1.5 centimeters, cut the layer from the parent flower stalk with pruning shears.
Treat the dried sections with charcoal or cinnamon.
Place the young phalaenopsis in the pot at such a level that the roots are slightly above the edge of the container.
Holding the plant by the stem, gradually and evenly pour the fine bark soil into the pot. Don't compact it—gently tap the sides of the container to distribute the soil.
The first watering is allowed several days after separation.

It's commonly believed that a beautiful orchid produces offspring only just before its death. This is generally true when the offspring forms on the mother plant. Such orchids do not form their own roots on the stem, but rather rely on the parent plant for nourishment and development. If the orchid offspring is from the stem, it should not be separated from the mother plant. It's best to wait until the adult orchid dies naturally, and then proceed. caring for a young phalaenopsis.

How to grow roots on orchid plants

Ideally, the orchid plant should begin to form roots within four months of emergence. However, what if the leaves and stems have already formed, but there are no roots yet? Is it possible to grow roots or simply repot the orchid plant without roots?

Separating a shoot that hasn't yet produced roots is possible. However, it's important to understand that this is quite risky for a young plant. Before deciding, it's best to try growing roots while the small clone is still attached to the mother plant.

How to grow roots on a peduncle:

Orchid enthusiasts often resort to root growth using sphagnum moss. Patience is essential—root growth can take several months.
Place the moss in water and allow it to soak completely. The sphagnum should swell and gain weight.
Roll a ball of wet moss into a ball that's tight enough to hold together, attach it to the base of the flower stalk, and secure with thread. Be careful not to tie the nutrient base too tightly, or you'll cut the stem.
You can wrap the attachment point with cling film. It's best to secure the mother plant in a stable position with supports and clamps. This will prevent the mother orchid from tipping over.
The main condition for stimulating growth is daily moistening of the moss by spraying and creating a favorable temperature regime: the room should be humid and warm.
Don't forget to ventilate regularly.

Please note!

It takes approximately 3 to 6 months for the plant to develop independent roots. Once the roots appear and reach 5 centimeters, the plant can be separated and repotted in its own pot.

In addition to natural methods, there are also artificial ones, which are also popular in orchid propagation.
How to grow roots in a greenhouse:

Prepare a greenhouse: for example, use a large plastic bottle with drainage holes, and place a substrate of small pieces of bark on the bottom.
Separate the shoot from the mother flower stalk and place the young plant in a greenhouse.
Wet moss can be used as a nutrient base and should be placed on top of the soil to form a substrate for the baby plant.
Spray the cutting daily, ensuring that the soil does not become waterlogged—it should dry completely within a few hours. Spraying is recommended during the day.

You can save a newborn orchid by planting it in foam and creating ideal conditions for its roots to emerge.

How to grow a root system in polystyrene foam:

Make a hole in a piece of foam plastic of such a diameter that the base of the shoot fits freely into it.
Fix the structure in a container of water so that the baby's lower part is at a small distance from the water, but is not immersed in it.
You can increase humidity by creating a greenhouse effect – by covering the foam with a polyethylene bottle with the top cut off or a plexiglass dome.