Can Orchids absorb nutrients without root tips?

[strawberryblossom]

i can't seem to find any information on this.

 

[Linus_Cello]

do you mean "foliar feeding"?

 

[eds]

Without the tips but with other healthy root yes. Without roots then there would be some absorption via leaves with suitable foliar feed.

 

[Leo Schordje]

As "eds" said, yes but not as efficient. Don't increase fertilizer concentration to compensate for the plant's lower absorption efficiency. Keep fertilizer on a regular schedule, and keep it dilute.

Work on keeping roots. Get rid of slugs and other root tip eating pests. Often root tips are killed by allowing to get too dry between watering. Humidity above 40% will help. Consistent watering habits are single most important help to keeping root tips.

 

[tomp]

If you don’t see slugs, (and or slug slime trails) suggest looking for bush snails. They are tiny (1/8 th inch or less) but voracious. You may have to unpot to find. Root tips are their favorite chow. If you do find them they make a satisfying crunch. I do not find Sluggo to be effective on bush snails. Some say yellow sticky trap sheet pieces sometimes work.

 

[Ray]

Foliar feeding of orchids is typically not all that effective, thanks the the waxy cuticle on the leaf surface, but if the do have to go that way, replacing some if the nitrogen with urea is a good thing.

 

[Sky7Bear]

I've seen Paphs do it all the time. Not ideal but it happens.