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Dealing with Root Rot in Your Garden

Name: G & K Nursery
Address: 7031 S US 441, Lake City, FL, 32025
Telephone: 386-487-9768

Tips From Our Garden Center

Root rot is a disease that attacks the roots of plants or trees that are growing in damp soil. Root rot can cut short just about any plant's life and has symptoms that are similar to other diseases and pest problems, like poor growth, wilted leaves, early leaf drop, branch die-back, and eventual death.

Root rot can occur for two reasons. The first is prolonged exposure to over-watering; since there isn't enough oxygen to feed the roots or the soil retains too much water and doesn't drain properly. The second cause of root rot is fungus in the soil. The fungus may lay dormant in the soil and then can suddenly flourish when the plant is over-watered once or twice. The root rot fungus attacks the roots and causes them to die and rot away.

Signs of Root Rot

If you’re not sure if your plant has root rot, there are some tell-tale signs:

Gradual or quick decline without an obvious reason
Stunted or poor growth
Small, pale leaves
Wilted, yellowed, or browned leaves
Branch dieback
Thinning of the canopy

The roots affected by root rot will look black and will feel mushy. Affected roots may literally fall off the plant when you touch them. Healthy roots may be black or pale, but they will feel firm and pliable.

How to Treat Root Rot

Regardless which is the cause of root rot, if you catch it an early stage you might be able to salvage your plant.

Remove the plant from the soil and clean the roots with water. Wash as much soil away as possible while being gentle with the plant.
Use sharp, clean garden shears to trim away any remaining affected roots. You may need to trim a good number of roots as any rotted roots that are not cut off, will continue to damage your plant.
Cut off all of the affected leaves from your plant using your garden shears, and then trim the plant down to half its original size. This will give the plant a better chance to regrow the roots, as it will not need to support as many leaves.
Sanitize the pots of any plants that have had root rot by using a bleach and water mixture (1-part bleach to 10 parts water). This will ensure that any lingering fungus or bacteria will not survive.
Place the cleaned plant in a new pot that has proper drainage filled with fresh soil that drains well. If your plant was in the ground, then you might want to consider moving it to a pot to recover.

Garden Center Serving Gainesville, Jacksonville & Lake City, FL

If you need more advice on any plant related issues, do not hesitate to reach out to the team at G & K Nursery. If you’re in search of a garden center to purchase plants and supplies in the Lake City, Gainesville or Jacksonville, FL area, be sure to visit us today!