Watering your house plants is for certain an turn of passion . If you did n’t water them , on a longsighted enough timeline , they would finally and die . So here it is , my # 1 most authoritative horticulture baksheesh : water your plants . Without water , the whole organization falls asunder . But is there such a affair as too much water ? Why yes , yes there is . Some plant love tons and tons and oodles of water . Others do n’t . And if you overwater a works , a cruddy affair shout out root rot can take place .
The good news is that this nasty little condition can be prevent and in some cases reversed . The regretful news is that once root rot has begun , it can be difficult to turn around . But not impossible ! In this clause , we ’re hold up to break down what stem rot is , how to treat it , and the best ways to prevent it . So let ’s dive in , y’ all !
What is root rot?
Root hogwash is a secular term given usually to one of two thing . One form of antecedent rot is because of waterlogged soil . Soil that contain too much water can suffocate the ascendent , foreclose vitally important O from reaching the etymon of the plants and causing the root to begin to die , decline , and ‘ moulder ’ away . Once the bunkum has begun , it can stay on to spread to other roots , even if they are n’t waterlogged .
The 2nd cause of root rot is a fungal infection . In healthy dirt , there is a vibrant array of fungi that call it home as well , and this is ultimately a undecomposed affair for your plant . But not all fungi are benignant , and when the soil has become too soused for too long , it can cause some of that harmful fungi to wave and begin attack the roots of your plant , stimulate them to die .
The intriguing thing about root rot is that it can be difficult to count on out which one precisely is the trouble .
What does root rot look like?
If you ’ve landed here , you ’re probably wondering : what does root decompose look like ? The signs of ancestor decomposition are really slightly alike to underwatering because the plant is having difficulty taking in moisture and nutrient due to the steady decomposition of its roots . One of the surest signs of etymon rotting is wilt and yellowing leaves in a plant that has been water plenteousness .
Another way to tell is by inspect the roots of the works . Uproot the plant from the pot it ’s in . If the roots appear brown and falling away from the plant life , you may be sure you have a bad slip of root putrefaction . respectable roots should be firmly attached to the plant and not warm to break off away . You may notice a somewhat fetid odor coming from the land as well . This is unquestionably not a effective sign .
How to treat root rot
The cause of root rot , be it a fungous infection or just being too wet for too long , is pretty much impossible to tell without getting jolly scientific about it . To succeed , you ’ll want to do by it like it is a fungal transmission and be careful to remove as much of it as you perhaps can .
If you suspect root rot is killing your flora , act as tight . absent the plant life from its pot and begin removing any dead roots with a uncontaminating , disinfected pair of shear . It might be shocking just how much of the root system you require to take out . In addition to beat radical , dead branches and foliation should also be removed , as long as it does n’t compromise the power of the plant to carry on growing . Again , utilise disinfect shear to remove dead foliage . Do n’t utilise the shears you pare the dead roots away with unless you have thoroughly disinfect them .
Remove as much of the dirt from the root scheme as you possibly can and , if possible , sink the roots in a antifungal agent to eliminate any remain fungous infection damaging the plant . Dispose of the soil , do n’t reprocess it . Select a marque new and disinfected pot to repot your plant . I do not apprize putting it back in the same stool , even if it ’s been disinfect .
If you be after to reuse the one-time pot , expend a bleach solution to disinfect it and leave it in a hot , sunny , aery location to fully dry out . Do n’t be eager to reprocess this throne , especially if it ’s made of a porous material .
Prevention
finally , a note on preventing root rot . bar is the good remedy to this affliction . Be mindful of how much you ’re watering your plants , particularly ones that do n’t call for being completely waterlogged or very soggy . You will also need to be mindful of any drainage basin your plant sits in . If the basin is full , the soil will continuously uptake that water system , potentially leaving your territory too wet for too long .
