Orchid air roots – should you cut them off?
Difficulty: Easy · Time: approx. 10 minutes
They stick out of the pot in all directions, cling to the windowsill and simply look untidy: orchid air roots. The urge to cut them off is understandable – but almost always wrong. Healthy aerial roots are supply organs: they absorb water and nutrients from the air, just like in the wild, where Phalaenopsis grows on trees.
You only cut what is genuinely dead. Within ten minutes you'll have assessed all the roots and cleanly removed the dead ones – that's all it takes. Read on to learn how to tell healthy roots from dead ones, and what lots of air roots say about the pot.
What you'll need
- Sharp scissors or a sharp knife
- Alcohol (e.g. rubbing alcohol) to disinfect the blade
- A glass of water for the root test
- A little ground cinnamon as a natural disinfectant (optional)
- Orchid potting mix and a clear pot (if you're repotting right away)
Step by step
- 1
Assess the roots calmly
Look at each aerial root: silvery green, plump and firm means healthy – hands off, no matter how untidy it looks. Only brown, dry, hollow or mushy, rotten roots are dead and can go.
- 2
When in doubt: the water test
If you're unsure about a root, place it in a glass of water for 10 minutes. If it turns green and plump, it's alive and stays. If it remains grey, limp or hollow, it's dead.
- 3
Cut only what's dead
Disinfect the scissors with alcohol so you don't carry germs into the plant. Cut dead roots off at the base – where they emerge from the stem. Healthy tissue stays untouched.
- 4
Treat the cuts
Let the cut surfaces air-dry before you water again. Optionally, dab on a little ground cinnamon – it acts as a natural disinfectant and helps prevent rot.
- 5
Read what many air roots are telling you
If your orchid grows a striking number of air roots, the pot is often too small or the potting mix worn out. Repot at the next opportunity (every 2 to 3 years) into fresh orchid mix. You can gently pot the air roots in with it or leave them outside – both are perfectly fine.
Your case looks different?
Take a photo of your problem – you'll instantly get a tailored step-by-step guide with a tools list. Free, no sign-up.
Upload a photo →Frequently asked questions
- Why does my orchid grow air roots at all?
- Because that's its nature: Phalaenopsis grows on trees in the rainforest and takes water and nutrients straight from the humid air. Air roots are not a care mistake but a sign that your plant is growing happily.
- Can I bury air roots when repotting?
- Yes, that's allowed – gently and without kinking them, as they snap easily. You can just as well leave them outside the pot. More important than their position is the right potting mix, where the roots can breathe.
- My orchid has almost nothing but air roots – now what?
- Then the roots inside the pot have probably died, often from overwatering. Take the plant out of the pot, remove everything rotten and set it in fresh orchid mix. As long as several healthy air roots remain, it has a good chance of recovering.