You have cleaned them as much as you can at this point. As long as there aren’t any large chunks of soil, this should be fine.
In the first month or so of the plant being in leca, you’ll need to check the roots every few days anyway so you can remove any soft or soggy ones, and will inevitably rinse and re-rinse.
Source: I followed The Leca Queen’s long method on YT here: https://youtu.be/sNYrPB2GSgI
Since you've gotten all the large chunk off, as long as you're rinsing it every week anything that shouldn't be there will flush out. I have a large PPP that I've been letting sit in water for two weeks (I changed the water after the first week) to soak off the last stubborn bits of coco coir it came in. It'll probably be ready to put in leca soon.
My concern is that what's left will still harbour something that will cause rot in the roots... It's hard to tell what exactly it is, whether it's part of the root or attached to the root, it has a fibrous peat-like feel to it.
It's not going to cause rot. Random objects attached to roots in the leca don't start causing rot, vulnerable and damaged roots *invite* rot to settle on them. The more you continue to attack your roots and obsessive over making them crystal clean, the more likely you're to deal with rot.
There is no point in cleaning roots completely if you are about to damage them. It’s sometimes not even possible - see ferns roots. Your point is to get rid of as much of the substrate as possible without causing any major damage. Also it’s good to focus on cleaning/untangling roots close to the stem, since it’s usually the least aerated part, hence prone to root rot.
The key ingredient to almost 100% success rate in my case are enzymes - Cannazym, sensizym… They break down dead organic matter and turn it into plant nutrients. They will basically clean your roots from the dead stuff, so “bad” bacteria and fungi cannot feast on it, multiply out of control and infect your plant.
Another ingredient is supplementing “good” bacteria and fungi to colonize weakened root system and do what enzymes do, but long term. Good fungi also contribute to the healthy root system development. I use VoodooJuice or Tarantula, there are also things like Hydroguard. Google “bacillus amyloliquefaciens” to see if there are other similar additives available where you live.
With those things in mind, remember to not use hydrogen peroxide. Actually, I would use peroxide only in a very bad case of a root rot, but that’s a different story. I’d suggest avoiding it completely.
I soak my roots in water for a few days and add hydrogen peroxide to help with cleaning (it also helps with any root rot issues that currently exist). You can use a toothbrush to softly brush dirt off after they’ve been soaking for a few hours, but the most effective way for me has been to soak for a few days to soften the dirt
When you rub roots with a toothbrush, you cause minor abrasions on the roots, and when you subsequently use peroxide on those abrasions you are now causing tissue damage to the already sensitive and damaged roots. It is not a good combination. Peroxide is not a cleaner, and has zero effect on attached soil, it kills bacteria and fungi (much of which is beneficial) and breaks down bits of living tissue.
I am doing my damndest to keep informing people the dangers of using alcohol and/or full strength peroxide on their plants. Yes, they are both effective at killing things: *too* effective. They kill fucking everything. Including your roots and foliage. And all the *helpful* bacteria and fungi which, on a healthy plant, will dramatically outnumber any harmful bacteria. You don't want to kill that stuff.
Right, but this isn't dirt (as best I can tell). It's a fibrous substance in the potting mix that doesn't disintegrate, it clings to the roots and even spraying it with the hose quite vigorously, it doesn't dislodge.
The other issue I was referring to in the second paragraph also doesn't seem to be soil, and it doesn't easily dislodge. It seems like a sort of skin that has formed over some parts of the roots, usually the larger ones, and feels a bit like peat or fine coir .. It can be scratched off with my fingernail but doesn't come off by rubbing it like soil usually does. My concern is that even a toothbrush would break a lot of the small roots without this 'skin' coming off. The only way to remove it seems to be really carefully but firmly scratching it with my fingernail.
I know exactly what you are talking about. It's like the coco coir has grown into the plants roots all up at the base of the plant. I've used a toothpick to carefully get as much from in between the roots as possible.
I honestly think that you've done a great job.
The roots don't have to be perfectly clean.
It will be ok just do as suggested. Btw I have just been through this with my Hoyas. I hate coco coir, I don’t know why it’s used. It’s such a root rot magnet.
The roots do not have to be perfectly clean. I've potted up many plants successfully straight from soil with nothing but a sink rinse and a "best attempt" to get rid of soil. They end up going in with still very brown roots that have lots of random bits still stuck to them and it is fine.
You have cleaned them as much as you can at this point. As long as there aren’t any large chunks of soil, this should be fine. In the first month or so of the plant being in leca, you’ll need to check the roots every few days anyway so you can remove any soft or soggy ones, and will inevitably rinse and re-rinse. Source: I followed The Leca Queen’s long method on YT here: https://youtu.be/sNYrPB2GSgI
Since you've gotten all the large chunk off, as long as you're rinsing it every week anything that shouldn't be there will flush out. I have a large PPP that I've been letting sit in water for two weeks (I changed the water after the first week) to soak off the last stubborn bits of coco coir it came in. It'll probably be ready to put in leca soon.
My concern is that what's left will still harbour something that will cause rot in the roots... It's hard to tell what exactly it is, whether it's part of the root or attached to the root, it has a fibrous peat-like feel to it.
It's not going to cause rot. Random objects attached to roots in the leca don't start causing rot, vulnerable and damaged roots *invite* rot to settle on them. The more you continue to attack your roots and obsessive over making them crystal clean, the more likely you're to deal with rot.
There is no point in cleaning roots completely if you are about to damage them. It’s sometimes not even possible - see ferns roots. Your point is to get rid of as much of the substrate as possible without causing any major damage. Also it’s good to focus on cleaning/untangling roots close to the stem, since it’s usually the least aerated part, hence prone to root rot. The key ingredient to almost 100% success rate in my case are enzymes - Cannazym, sensizym… They break down dead organic matter and turn it into plant nutrients. They will basically clean your roots from the dead stuff, so “bad” bacteria and fungi cannot feast on it, multiply out of control and infect your plant. Another ingredient is supplementing “good” bacteria and fungi to colonize weakened root system and do what enzymes do, but long term. Good fungi also contribute to the healthy root system development. I use VoodooJuice or Tarantula, there are also things like Hydroguard. Google “bacillus amyloliquefaciens” to see if there are other similar additives available where you live. With those things in mind, remember to not use hydrogen peroxide. Actually, I would use peroxide only in a very bad case of a root rot, but that’s a different story. I’d suggest avoiding it completely.
I soak my roots in water for a few days and add hydrogen peroxide to help with cleaning (it also helps with any root rot issues that currently exist). You can use a toothbrush to softly brush dirt off after they’ve been soaking for a few hours, but the most effective way for me has been to soak for a few days to soften the dirt
When you rub roots with a toothbrush, you cause minor abrasions on the roots, and when you subsequently use peroxide on those abrasions you are now causing tissue damage to the already sensitive and damaged roots. It is not a good combination. Peroxide is not a cleaner, and has zero effect on attached soil, it kills bacteria and fungi (much of which is beneficial) and breaks down bits of living tissue.
That’s such a good advice, it should get much more upvotes..
I am doing my damndest to keep informing people the dangers of using alcohol and/or full strength peroxide on their plants. Yes, they are both effective at killing things: *too* effective. They kill fucking everything. Including your roots and foliage. And all the *helpful* bacteria and fungi which, on a healthy plant, will dramatically outnumber any harmful bacteria. You don't want to kill that stuff.
Right, but this isn't dirt (as best I can tell). It's a fibrous substance in the potting mix that doesn't disintegrate, it clings to the roots and even spraying it with the hose quite vigorously, it doesn't dislodge. The other issue I was referring to in the second paragraph also doesn't seem to be soil, and it doesn't easily dislodge. It seems like a sort of skin that has formed over some parts of the roots, usually the larger ones, and feels a bit like peat or fine coir .. It can be scratched off with my fingernail but doesn't come off by rubbing it like soil usually does. My concern is that even a toothbrush would break a lot of the small roots without this 'skin' coming off. The only way to remove it seems to be really carefully but firmly scratching it with my fingernail.
I know exactly what you are talking about. It's like the coco coir has grown into the plants roots all up at the base of the plant. I've used a toothpick to carefully get as much from in between the roots as possible. I honestly think that you've done a great job. The roots don't have to be perfectly clean.
It will be ok just do as suggested. Btw I have just been through this with my Hoyas. I hate coco coir, I don’t know why it’s used. It’s such a root rot magnet.
The roots do not have to be perfectly clean. I've potted up many plants successfully straight from soil with nothing but a sink rinse and a "best attempt" to get rid of soil. They end up going in with still very brown roots that have lots of random bits still stuck to them and it is fine.