Struggling with Root Rot
This PlantCon purchase is struggling. She was in peat when I got her, likely to minimize need for watering during the con. I repotted as soon as I could but she got root rot. I cleaned up the roots and removed some smaller leaves and repotted, but she’s losing yet another leaf and the main stem is browning from the bottom up. I actually checked the roots 2 days ago and they looked fine, so I’m not sure what’s happening now. Any ideas/tips? I haven’t really dealt with root rot until now.
4ft to light, indirect
2” pot without drainage
Last watered 2 weeks ago
4
Best Answer
Yes here is how to eradicate the root rot and kill of the bacteria. You will need to follow the whole treatment or else it will return.
1. Remove from your pot, to check the roots. If there is anything brown black or mushy you have rot and will need to cut it all off. Keep only the healthy roots they will be whitish in color
Now root rot comes from a bacteria that forms in your soil and then attacks your plant. So treatment is absolutely necessary.
2. Cut off all affected roots soak what is left in:
1 part peroxide + 3 parts water and leave in the peroxide mix to soak for 5 minutes this will kill off the remaining bacteria. It will bubble pot and fizz this is good it’s killing the bacteria.
3. Next is soil, the best
choice is to throw it away. It’s safest. Or bake it for 1 hour in a 200
Degree oven, not the greatest because it REALLY stinks. But it’s effective. Or the most risky way is to thoroughly flush your soil out with your peroxide mix twice! You need to be very careful and do it thoroughly because if even a teeny bit of bacteria is left your rot will come back.
4. Now the pot, it also has that pesky bacteria you must scrub it out with soapy water very well and then also scrub it down with the peroxide mix.
Now you can plant her again. Be sure to add some perlite to your soil for aeration. This will help oxygen reach those roots and I avoid bacteria growth in the future.
1. Remove from your pot, to check the roots. If there is anything brown black or mushy you have rot and will need to cut it all off. Keep only the healthy roots they will be whitish in color
Now root rot comes from a bacteria that forms in your soil and then attacks your plant. So treatment is absolutely necessary.
2. Cut off all affected roots soak what is left in:
1 part peroxide + 3 parts water and leave in the peroxide mix to soak for 5 minutes this will kill off the remaining bacteria. It will bubble pot and fizz this is good it’s killing the bacteria.
3. Next is soil, the best
choice is to throw it away. It’s safest. Or bake it for 1 hour in a 200
Degree oven, not the greatest because it REALLY stinks. But it’s effective. Or the most risky way is to thoroughly flush your soil out with your peroxide mix twice! You need to be very careful and do it thoroughly because if even a teeny bit of bacteria is left your rot will come back.
4. Now the pot, it also has that pesky bacteria you must scrub it out with soapy water very well and then also scrub it down with the peroxide mix.
Now you can plant her again. Be sure to add some perlite to your soil for aeration. This will help oxygen reach those roots and I avoid bacteria growth in the future.
My worry is that the bacteria has already worked its way up the stem which is why it is browning.
You may be better off cutting right above the line I drew. You want to keep that node that the arrow is pointing at. You need the node to have a successful propagation.
If she was mine I would propagate instead of treating the rot since it is working its way up. If it passes that node then there will be no hope of propagation. These plants must have a node to form roots and create a new plant.
If you choose to propagate allow it to callous over for 2 hours before placing in water. That will help prevent rot.
You may be better off cutting right above the line I drew. You want to keep that node that the arrow is pointing at. You need the node to have a successful propagation.
If she was mine I would propagate instead of treating the rot since it is working its way up. If it passes that node then there will be no hope of propagation. These plants must have a node to form roots and create a new plant.
If you choose to propagate allow it to callous over for 2 hours before placing in water. That will help prevent rot.
@SuperbRaspfern Took the cut and prop advice, but of COURSE I dropped the cutting and a good leaf came off. So now I just have one leaf. If it roots, it roots. If not….well, there’s always more plants to bring home.