How to identify succulent root rot?
When root rot begins, the leaves become pale, yellow, and then increasingly become transparent and brown as roots start to rot and die. As the rot spreads, it moves up the stem, lower leaves, and through the stem to the top of the succulent, often characterised by black and mushy tissue.
If you discover that your succulent is black and mushy, and leaves fall upon a gentle touch then your plant is unfortunately too far gone to save. Discard the rotted plant and sterilise the soil and pot by pouring hot water over it to kill the pathogen.
But, if the rot hasn’t spread to all your succulent’s stem, there’s a chance to save it! If your succulent is still primarily green or colourful, the chance of survival is very high.
If you are unsure if your succulent has root rot, uproot the succulent and wash away any of the remaining dirt and other contaminants still clinging to the roots so that you will be able to examine it more clearly. Check if the roots have turned dark brown or black, often times the roots will turn mushy and hollow as well.
Succulent with severe root rot
How to save a succulent with root rot?
First, use clean and sterilised garden shears or a pair of scissors to cut and trim off affected parts that have started to rot, cut a few centimetres above the rotted area. If you cut into the greener part of the stem or roots, the risk of rot spreading is reduced. Discard the rotted parts that you have trimmed off. When the root rot has already gotten to a point where you can no longer salvage the base of the succulent, you will have no choice but to cut off huge chunks of the plant. Depending on just how bad the rot has gotten, it can be as little as just the root part of the plant or it can be the entire second half of it.
Fortunately, succulents do have a tendency of being able to survive such a process and you can even regrow the whole succulent from a single leaf or stem cutting. Naturally, the smaller the piece, the lower the chance of salvaging the succulent. So, try to keep your cuts as precise as possible to preserve as much of the plant as possible. Dust the open wound with sulfur or fungicide powder to disinfect the cut wound and prevent pathogen from entering the wound and causing rot again.
Behead succulents if the rot has spread to the stems
Remove any leaves that have started to turn pale, yellow, discoloured or brown, succulent leaves that are infected with rot are not likely to be propagated and you can discard the leaves. By removing the lower leaves, the plant conserves energy that it can use to grow new roots.
Examples of rotted leaves
Isolate the plant from your other plants and leave it in a well ventilated and dry place with indirect sunlight and shade for 5-7 days. Allow the cut stem to heal and dry out, to form a callous. After the callous has been formed, you can replant the succulent in new soil. Do not reuse the soil you used previously as it could be infected with pathogen, which can reinfect your succulent and cause rot again. It is best to sterilise the infected soil with hot water or microwave it if you plan to reuse it, or best, to discard it.
Left: Fresh cutting, Right: Calloused cutting
Do not water or mist your succulent for another 2 weeks, the moist soil will cause rot to form again. Ensure bone dry conditions to encourage new root growth. You can start shifting the succulent to an area with some direct sunlight or next to a windowsill. You can water as per normal after 2 weeks have passed.
How to prevent succulent root rot?
1) Ensure well-draining soil
- Check if your soil is well-draining by filling a pot that has drainage holes with your soil mix. Pour 50ml of water into the pot. Make sure the water drains from the pot within a few seconds
- We recommend 3 parts cactus soil, 2 parts pumice, and 1 part perlite. \
- Check out our soil guide for more info: https://www.greenthumbx.com/single-post/ultimate-succulent-soil-guide
2) Use a pot with proper drainage hole or with porous material
- Always use a pot with more than 5 drainage holes, it will ensure the water drains easily after watering and the soil does not remain soggy and damp, which causes rot.
- Pots such as terracotta pots are more porous and breathable than plastic or glazed pots, which can allow moisture in the soil to evaporate faster. Hence terracotta pots are recommended for beginners.
3) Control the amount of water given to the succulent
- Find out if your succulent is dormant or actively growing, dormant succulents do not require to be watered weekly, and in fact, dormant succulents should only be watered monthly as excessive moisture can lead to rot.
- If your plants are indoor, avoid watering too frequently as indoor conditions are more humid and the soil is likely to retain more water.
- Check out our ultimate guide to watering succulents: https://www.greenthumbx.com/single-post/a-complete-guide-to-watering-succulents
Use a squeeze bottle to water succulents
4) Maintain air circulation and low humidity
- If you are growing succulents indoors, sunlight and air circulation is less strong as it would be outside. This increases the chance of root rot.
- We recommend moving root rot recovering succulents into a location that is slightly brighter and receives constant wind/ air circulation. This helps excess water evaporate faster, and the extra light will encourage the succulent to grow roots.
- If you keep your indoor succulents in a room where the door is kept closed all day, keep the windows open. During warm months, use a fan to help distribute air across around the room, or place the succulent in an air-conditioned room. You can invest in a dehumidifier to reduce humidity in the air.
Intelligent succulent planter comes with special grow light for succulent and ventilation fan
Find out more about plant care and info at our blog at https://www.greenthumbx.com/blog
Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/greenthumbx
Follow us on instagram https://www.instagram.com/greenthumbx
Comments