Have you ever looked at a plant and thought the leaves were looking a little sad or maybe the plant just stopped growing? Yeah...well so have I. You might think all is going great with a plant and suddenly you realize that it has lost the will to live because you probably overwatered it or did something to offend it. Depending on the types of plants you keep root rot can be a major issue. About a month and a half ago, I got a Hoya chelsea which I didn't pot up in my normal soil mixture. Instead, I left some of the original bark it came in and mixed it into my usual soil. Well let me tell you that was a mistake on my part. I didn't realize something was wrong until I started to see the beginning of yellowing leaves. Needless to say, I created a lot of work for myself. In essence, root rot is when the roots of a plant start to decay. Root rot is a fungus and typically happens from having a growing medium that is too moist for a plant or from overwatering. Signs can include stunted growth, yellowing leaves, and brown roots instead of white firm ones. Clear pots are great because you can easily see the roots without having to unpot the plant first. Click here to read more about them. Once you have identified that you do indeed have root rot unpot the plant if you haven't already done so. Next, you need to inspect the roots to see which ones are still viable if any. An easy way to tell if a root is still healthy besides color is by tugging at it gently. If the outer part of the root comes off easily and looks like little white thin hairs then it's a goner. u/a_cup_of_jojo. (2022). Root rot on H. carnosa 'Krimson Queen'. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://www.reddit.com/r/hoyas/comments/i762ad/help_is_this_root_rot_idk_what_to_do_ive_only_had/. Use a pair of sterilized shears to cut off all dead/rotted roots. If none of the roots are salvageable you will need to re-root the plant. Before you either repot it or re-root it makes sure you spray down the plant with a peroxide spray to kill any fungus. Peroxide spray: 2/3 cup water 1/3 cup hydrogen peroxide 3% Combine ingredients into a spray bottle and shake well before spraying over roots. If you have a large plant with root rot and decide to re-root consider cutting it up into smaller pieces which will put less stress on the plant and root faster. I would also consider using fresh soil to pot the plant so you do not recontaminate it after doing all that work. My preferred medium for rerooting is LECA. I find that it is not only the fastest method but also a higher survivability rate. Click here to read about LECA propagation. Additional Resources: Click here to watch Amanda Law's video all about root rot
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