Root rot in houseplants

 How to detect and treat root rot in houseplants

Have you ever wondered if those who love houseplants are greedy for punishment?

We take beautiful tropical plants, most of which do not grow anywhere near where we live, and bring them into our dry, rain-fed homes and stump them in a pot. Then we pull our hair out and try to maintain them so they will thrive in these unnatural conditions.

But that’s what we want, isn’t it?

Caring - Maintaining our foliage. When our plants thrive, it is like living in a beautiful, lush forest. We are naturally attached to our houseplants.

My daughter told me she had house plant grandchildren in her apartment. I still don’t know how to feel about it.

Of course, enjoying houseplants is also about treating occasional diseased plants.

If you keep houseplants for a long time, you will inevitably experience root rot. This common plant disease, until it is well, is difficult to detect in most mature green thumbs.

What is root rot?

Many believe that excessive watering is the cause of root rot. And that is partly true. Excessive watering will drown and the root system will rot. Your plant starts making compost from the roots.

However, we are talking about fungal and bacterial rot. Yes, excessive watering starts these infections in your soil.

The most common types of root rot you will encounter in houseplants are mad root rot, Phytophthora root rot, and Fusarium root rot.

Crazy root rot is a bacterial parasite that eats rotting plants. If you have fungal mosquitoes, you may have crazy root rot because the mosquitoes can carry it. Yes, fungal mosquitoes and root-killing bacteria!

Phytophthora and Fusarium are naturally occurring fungi in the soil; There are different species. Generally, these fungi are dormant; However, they can become a problem of water exposure in the long run (hello, over-irrigation).

It is important to remember that these are all common organisms found in the soil, even in potting soil, so it is almost impossible to try to avoid them in the first place.

How to detect root rot

Root rot is one of the most difficult plant diseases because the symptoms are deceptive. When houseplants start to wilt or begin to rot, as any home plant owner will tell you, your immediate instinct when looking at a houseplant is to water it down.

That’s why I always recommend sticking a finger in your soil before you water a plant. Ensuring that the soil is dry before watering can prevent many common plant problems. Your plant will begin to lose its healthy luster and foliage will fade. Finally, the leaves and stems turn yellow or brown. Also not the crunchy brown of a charred or unripe plant.

At this point, you should gently remove the plant from the soil and inspect the roots. A healthy plant has a large root system with white or cream roots. A plant affected by root rot may have brown or black roots. Often, they are soft to the touch.

You may even notice the smell of rot. Bleach.

How to treat root rot

If you detect it early, you can treat the root rot, but you need to move quickly.

Remove the plant from its pot and remove as much soil as possible from the roots. (This soil should be disposed of without composting.) Run cold water on the root system to further remove contaminated soil from the plant.

How to prevent root rot

The thing here is, if it is too late, we will often find that there is root rot. Yes, you can take action to give your plant a fighting opportunity to heal itself. But as with most health-related problems, whether it is plants or people, prevention is important.

Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a means to increase oxygen in the soil. When you add hydrogen peroxide to your soil, H202, it breaks down, releasing its extra oxygen molecule and leaving the water. Extra oxygen helps your plant take in nutrients and build a healthy root system. It also kills bacteria and fungi in the soil.

To treat plants with hydrogen peroxide, add a teaspoon to a cup of water and place it at the base of the plant. Use water occasionally.

I am not a big fan of using hydrogen peroxide in my plants because it kills indiscriminately. It's like taking an antibiotic - it not only kills the bacteria that make you sick, it kills all the good bacteria in your gut.

For diseased plants, I will use it as a last resort. But to promote healthy plants, I like to use ...

Create a weekly plant care routine

As I said before, I say again, you need a plant care procedure. It is important for healthy plants to diagnose the disease before it is too late.

Choose one day of the week and do it each week.

I do not recommend watering every plant. I say once a week, check in each of your plants and maintain a watering can and houseplants.

Dip your finger in the dirt and see if it needs water.

Check out the holidays

Tail-tail webs of yellow, brown spots or spiders.

Look at your soil and see if you have white mold growing or fungal mosquitoes appearing.

If the soil is dry enough and can be done without disturbing the plant, occasionally pull the whole plant out of the pot (slowly) and stare at the roots.

Look under the pot; This is a great way to detect leaks and clutter before damaging any material that sits on your plant.

Wipe the leaves.

Tell me how beautiful your houseplant is.