Do you suspect your houseplant is suffering from root rot? As its name suggests, root rot refers to rotting roots. The trouble with root rot is you often don’t realize a plant has diseased roots until the root rot is advanced.
The Root Rot Cycle
Here’s how the cycle of root rot in plants goes.
The roots become compromised from too much water or soil that lacks enough drainage, or both. Continually watering with too cold of water can also result in root rot.
In overly wet conditions, the plant’s roots become infected with fungal pathogens that start a cycle of rotting the roots. The roots shut down when this rotting cycle begins.
When the roots shut down, the upper part of the plant stops receiving water. Insufficient water leads to drooping leaves, despite wet soil.
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(Photo: HealthyHouseplants.com)
In response to drooping leaves, many indoor gardeners will water, hoping to see the leaves perk up. But the opposite often happens. The plant gets even droopier and may drop leaves and even stems. Eventually, the leaves darken. The plant pictured above has an extreme case of root rot.
Signs of Root Rot in Plants
In general, a plant with root rot won’t look healthy. Often the leaves will be droopy, despite wet soil. The foliage will often have a dull appearance. If the plant does have new growth, it will be small and often misshapen. Flowering plants with root rot stop budding up and flowering. If they do flower, the buds may drop off before they bloom.
10 Steps to Saving a Plant with Root Rot
While some plants are difficult to save from root rot, like the schefflera pictured above, others can be saved, like the rubber tree (Ficus elastica) pictured below. This rubber tree starred in a series of videos focused on saving him (his name is Henry.)
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(Photo: HealthyHouseplants.com)
If you have a plant that you want to try to save from root rot, follow these steps for how to save a plant with root rot:
1. Carefully take the plant with root rot out of the pot. Try not to jostle and disturb the roots. Rotted roots tend to be fragile.
2. Gently remove the soil surrounding the roots and examine them. Are they white or tan in color? Or are they dark brown or black? Dark brown or black roots indicate root rot.
3. Feel the roots. Are they firm, or are they squishy? Are the roots well attached to the base of the plant, or do they come off easily? Squishy roots that aren’t well attached to the base of the plant are a sign of root rot.
4. Determine if saving the plant is possible. How much of the root system is compromised? If at least half of the plant roots are still healthy, you can probably save the plant.
5. Gently rinse soil from the plant roots and discard.
6. Spray plant roots with 3%-6% hydrogen peroxide. Soak roots well with a fine mist.
7. Repot the plant in a terracotta pot. Use well-draining potting soil that contains mycorrhizae or use a fertilizer containing mycorrhizae. When you finish repotting, ensure that the crown of the plant at the base is above the soil and exposed to air.
8. Water the plant well until water comes out of the drainage holes.
9. Wait until the top one to two inches of soil is dry before watering. Mist the leaves if you are concerned about the plant not getting enough water.
10. You will know your plant is saved from root rot when it begins putting on new healthy looking growth.