My N. inermis pot took a tumble off the wall (it's growing in a 4" net pot hanging at a 45* angle in my highland chamber). Well the plant came out of the pot (no damage to leaves, growing tip, etc just some pitcher goo on me and some other plants). But I noticed there was almost nothing in leiu of roots! Only a very long stem had developed under the soil level but only about 4 short, hard prong like roots at the very tip and one strand with about 20 threads on it that actually looked like roots. I searched through the pot which is full of moss and orchid bark so the roots would have been easy to locate in the pot (I went through the potting mix since the plant came out anyway). I cut down the brown underground stem and exposed the fleshy yellow/green inside so some new roots could emerge easier and set up some new soil for the plant. But I was wondering if anyone else has this species and what their root systems looked like (if you've ever seen them)?
I know N. inermis is said to be an (at least occasionally)epiphytic species, do epiphyte Neps generally have sparse root systems like this? My N. macrophylla and N. campanulata looked the same way when I received them, dark hard stem where there should have been roots. If it is true that the epiphytes generally have such tiny roots it would seem that high humidity and daily misting would be all important for these species... I think I will start misting them more often...
I know N. inermis is said to be an (at least occasionally)epiphytic species, do epiphyte Neps generally have sparse root systems like this? My N. macrophylla and N. campanulata looked the same way when I received them, dark hard stem where there should have been roots. If it is true that the epiphytes generally have such tiny roots it would seem that high humidity and daily misting would be all important for these species... I think I will start misting them more often...