We admire the visible parts of the plants, their flowers, leaves or fruits. But the root system hidden in the ground is no less important, because it forms the supplying basis. If disturbances occur here, the whole plant suffers. Like root rot for example.
Root rot is often only recognized when other parts of the plant are dying
The hidden problem
The roots of every cultivated plant are buried in the ground and are therefore completely hidden from our view. As long as the plant is in the best of health, this is not a problem. However, if the roots become diseased, it goes unnoticed for a long time. Sometimes this can mean death for the plant. So what can the presence of root rot tell us in time?
Different root rot triggers
Root rot can be caused by both fungi and bacteria. In turn, the most varied types of both can be at work. The large number of possible pathogens did not exactly make it easy to discover and identify root rot. However, both are important in order to correctly assess the chances of rescue and to take appropriate countermeasures. What remains for now is to look out for changes in other, visible parts of the plant and correctly interpret them as symptoms of root rot.
Symptoms that indicate root rot
A typical sign of root rot is wilting aboveground parts of plants. Unfortunately, these are often interpreted as a lack of water, whereupon the plant is watered vigorously. However, wetness fuels the spread of the disease. The following also indicate root rot:
- discoloration on the leaves
- e.g. B. Chlorosis
- dead plant parts
dig up roots
To be absolutely sure whether your plant is suffering from root rot, you can dig up part of the root system or even get the whole plant out of the ground. If the root system is damaged by root rot, it can be easily lifted out of the pot anyway, as it is not firmly held.
- inspect the roots closely
- soft, mushy roots are not a good sign
- Discolouration also indicates rot
- these are usually brown or black
Which fungus or bacterium actually caused the rot can probably only be determined with certainty in a laboratory. This is not absolutely necessary for the treatment of root rot.