💧 Dealing with Root Rot: Saving Waterlogged Container Plants

Root rot is the silent killer of container plants — one soggy day too many, and suddenly your once-thriving green friend starts drooping for no apparent reason. But don’t give up yet! With quick action, you can save your plant (and prevent it from happening again).

🚨 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐭

* Leaves turning yellow or brown despite moist soil

* Mushy or blackened roots when you pull the plant out

* A sour or musty smell coming from the soil

If you catch it early, there’s hope!

🪴 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟏: 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐭

Gently lift your plant out of its container. Tap off as much soggy soil as possible so you can inspect the roots.

✂️ 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟐: 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞

Use clean scissors or pruners to snip off any soft, dark, or mushy roots. Healthy roots should be firm and white or light tan.

🌬️ 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟑: 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐎𝐮𝐭

Lay the root ball on a paper towel or mesh surface for a few hours. This helps it dry and stops the rot from spreading.

🪵 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟒: 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡, 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥

Use new potting mix (preferably one labeled for container plants). Add perlite, sand, or bark to improve drainage if needed. Make sure the pot has a good drainage hole.

🌿 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟓: 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲

Water only when the top inch of soil feels dry. When in doubt — skip a day! Overwatering is far more dangerous than letting your plant get slightly thirsty.

💡 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐩:

Place pots on risers or saucers with airflow beneath them so excess water can escape — especially important during cool or rainy weather!

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