You lean over the orchid and notice a young root pushing its glossy green tip out from between the leaves and holding it just beyond the rim of the pot. There is no path laid out in front of it: dry air on one side, damper bark on the other, the outer pot below, a…
Tag: root ecology
The Root Trilogy, Part III: The Secret Garden
When you look at the silvery root of a Phalaenopsis, what you see is… calm. The surface is dry, pale, almost clean. After watering, it turns green within seconds, then slowly fades back to silver. It is easy to imagine that you are looking at a simple covering: a botanical sponge that catches water, passes…