Combating Root Rot
Picture of my Albo Monstera
Hey there! My name is Gordon, and I’m a fellow plant enthusiast who’s spent years figuring out the best ways to combat root rot. I’ve always loved sharing tips and tricks with friends and often got questions around how to either combat root rot or tips to avoid it. I’m putting this post together with the goal of helping others in their plant journey! 🙂 Feel free to reach out with questions.
Other Context:
I mainly have experience with avoiding root rot with variegated Monstera’s.
I’ve rotted a decent amount of plants, but none have died…. yet (knock on wood).
Plants I own: Aroids (Monstera, Philodendron, Anthuriums), Staghorn Ferns, common houseplants (fiddle leaf fig, ZZ plant).
Growing conditions: I grow most of my plants in ambient, although many are in cabinets so my 2 cats don’t eat them. My temps range from 65f-80f (90f in cabinets 😶), humidity stays around 50%.
Plants that have issues with rot, in my experience:
Easy to Rot:
Monstera Thai Constellation (I’ve rotted 3/3 of my Thai’s…)
Sometimes Rots:
Monstera Albo (only had issues with 1/5 of my albo’s), Platycerium
Rarely Rots:
Monstera Auera (no rot so far - 0/2), Monstera non-variegated, Anthurium Veitchii, Pilea, ZZ Plant, Fiddle leaf fig, Most carnivorous plants (so far), most Platyceriums / Staghorn ferns
Here’s some pictures of the plants that have since recovered from rot!
How to avoid root rot:
Clear pot so you can clearly see the roots! White roots = good
Water only when soil is dry (for most plants like Monstera)
Stick your finger into the top of the soil 2 inches, if the soil is wet or sticks to your finger, you probably should hold off on watering.
BUY CLEAR POTS: Can’t stress this enough, if you are learning and have an expensive plant, buy clear pots. You can easily tell if your soil is dry and if the roots are healthy.
Healthy roots are typically white - brown or black roots usually indicate rot.
I highly recommend getting clear pots, at least in the beginning of your plant journey! Once you understand what your plants need, it makes it so much easier to work with.
LESS SOIL, MORE ROOTS - I’d rather repot 2x a year, then have root rot. When in doubt, go smaller. Size DOES matter.
I only repot when roots are literally bursting through my plant and I can’t stuff them back in. I’d rather water more often than have my plant in pot that’s too big.
More soil = more water retained in soil = the roots have to work harder.
Less soil = less water retained in soil = roots suck up all the water + no rot = happy plant.
How to combat root rot:
If you think you have root rot, take your plant out of the pot and check to see if any roots are brown and mushy or dead.
Repotting in soil
Remove any of the rotted roots - remove more than you think is necessary, you don’t want to do this again!
[Optional] Semi-debated option, that I’ve done probably 75% of the time, is soaking the roots in a 3% hydrogen peroxide and water mix (5:1 ratio of peroxide to water). This in theory kills any bacteria.
Get rid of any soil attached to roots, use a new pot (or wash old pot thoroughly), and wash hands. Rinse the roots so little to no media remains.
Use AS LITTLE soil as possible. Ideally the roots is most of the pot IMO (the soil should cover all of the roots). The plant needs to recover.
If you have a soil mixture and can add extra perlite, do so! This will allow the root to soil ratio to be even better (allowing the plants roots to breath).
Keep an eye on how wet the soil stays - if it remains too wet, it will likely rot again. I would avoid doing too many checks of the roots as it’ll shock the plant. If you have a clear pot, you should know how it’s doing!
Repotting in water / other media
Remove any of the rotted roots - remove more than you think is necessary, you don’t want to do this again!
[Optional] Semi-debated option, that I’ve done probably 75% of the time, is soaking the roots in a 3% hydrogen peroxide and water mix (5:1 ratio of peroxide to water). This in theory kills any bacteria.
Get rid of any soil attached to roots, use a new pot (or wash old pot thoroughly), and wash hands. Rinse the roots so little to no media remains.
Put plant into water - try to keep the plant’s stem suspended out of the water or medium. If you can’t, it should be ok but keep an eye on the plant as it’s more likely to get stem rot.
Change water every day if possible, but every few days if not.
FAQs:
I avoid fertilizing my plant whenever my plant is recovering. There are some supplements you can consider using though.
Mycorrhizal Inoculant - I use this when repotting plants and it helps with root growth!
Hydroguard - Contains bacillus, a natural bacterial root inoculant. I don’t use it that often, but have heard it’s useful?
I would stick to the basics though, in my opinion!
Stem rot
If you have stem rot, look up a video about removing the rot from the stem. If you can, you may want to just cut off that part of the plant entirely (if you have enough plant to spare).
My plant keeps rotting
I’ve been there, it’s stressful. I think I did more harm by checking on my plant all the time. Figure out a plan that you want to do and stick to it. Remember, less soil the better! Also, less messing with your plant, the better.
At the end of the day, you’ll be ok! The plant may not be, but it’s ok 😊
Asides from soil, what do you recommend propagating in?
I only really do water, I’ve tried moss but it ended pretty badly for me. Other people have had better luck! Figure out what works best for you!
Moss for me retained too much water, and I couldn’t see the progress of the roots. Water allowed me to see the roots and I could tell if it was happy.
When should I repot?
People say you should generally repot once a year.
I’d say, you should do it when your roots look like this - I’d argue, you could wait even a little longer. But at this point, I think it’s pretty safe!
