Tropicals & Tender Perennials: cutting the new growth question, 0 by orchidman1

orchidman1 wrote:
Depsi:
http://www.theamateursdigest.com/epis.htm
Please go to the experts and find out the answers to questions like yours. If you were 6 ft. 7 and wanted to be 6 ft. you wouldn't just lop off your head. Plant growth has a purpose and a reason.

"Why do some stems put out long stringy things and others do not? Should I cut them off?
Those long stringy things are adventitious roots! Do not cut them off. It is quite natural for many epis to produce these roots. If they appear in large numbers, however, this may signal problems exist such as perhaps the plants may be too moist, too dry or in too much shade. The adventitious roots could be reaching for the moisture, light and even food that the plant is not receiving in sufficient quantities through watering, natural light and fertilizer.
When these adventitious roots appear, you should ask yourself if you are giving the plants enough water and/or fertilizer, if there is enough humidity around the plants and perhaps you should check the soil in the pot for signs of pest infestation which might be damaging the roots. Also, although I will tell you later that these plants do better if a little pot-bound, it is just as possible to underpot the plants which can also force roots to be produced along the stems."
A Southern Diehard