What to do with root rot? Newb here.
RaptorRed
9 years ago
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RaptorRed
9 years agoRaptorRed
9 years agoRelated Discussions
What you do to prevent root rot
Comments (4)I grow an extensive collection of bulbs indoors, and I'm in zone 5, where the winters are frigid and long. I have found that healthy roots can be maintained by planting in clay pots, using a very porous medium that doesn't retain too much moisture for too long a time. Good air circulation helps a lot, as does the proper amount of light. Careful and proper watering techniques are essential, as well. I use un-softened water, and I leach my potted plants on a regular basis to help eliminate accumulated salts and minerals. I also make certain to keep each bulb or plant in the proper sized pot, re-potting when necessary. All of these things combined, keep my plants' root systems healthy and growing well. I recently un-potted a group of Sprekelia bulbs to separate them, and they had the most beautiful root systems I've ever seen! They were potted in a clay pot using a porous medium that drains quite freely, and they have been outdoors since spring. I really feel that allowing them to grow outdoors helped immensely, and I wish I had the proper place to bring all of my potted plants outdoors for the summer months. The combination of sunlight, natural breezes and air flow, and all the rain we've gotten have really made a difference in the health of those bulbs! And I have Al to thank for pointing me in the right direction for the excellent medium I'm now using!...See Moredo you have anything blooming?
Comments (9)Wild cyclamen, crocosmia and salvia indigo are blooming, after torrential rains. The rain will stop in about 6 weeks, and we won't see another drop till October. The almond trees bloom like clockwork every year this week, and the wild places are filled with anemone and wild mustard, and many wildflowers. The ground is too wet for planting, and the herb seeds I planted weeks ago have all disappeared; I assume to the hundreds of slugs and snails that decimate everything. I plan to start seeding separate flats soon, and hope to get some sweet pea to plant this weekend. The gauras are still alive and shooting up, along with the greening up of moss rose, and gazinia, which won't bloom for a while yet but at least they're not dead or drowned. The weeds are towering in untended spaces ak URL:    Name of the Link: Information about Posting You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account. Please review our Rules of Play before posting. Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos. After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it. Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use. We have a strict no-advertising policy! If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum. If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help. Learn more about in-text links on this page here Return to the The Garden Party Forum Most Recent Posts Your Seed Catalogs â¢Â by digit the never ripening tomatoes â¢Â by rsgibson7 help my scallions â¢Â by growin_scraps Is bud blast of big-box store Phalaenopsis genetic? â¢Â by jane__ny Kitchen remodeling costs 2015 â¢Â by raenjapan Is this a new spike on my Psychopsis orchid? â¢Â by jane__ny Whole house electical radiant? (small house) â¢Â by Lumine What's behind your cooktop--backsplash question â¢Â by jgHG What to do with root rot? Newb here. â¢Â by jane__ny Cirtric acid vs vinegar â¢Â by RandalOulton Explore GardenWeb Ann's Cream Cheese Babka Perfect......See MoreDo I have root rot?
Comments (5)akaMEgrower gave you good advice. I saw your question to the Azalea Society of American on the Yahoo! Azalea Group. A couple general concerns: First, fertilizing after early summer can cause problems. Any fertilizer with nitrogen tends to promote new growth and prevent hardening off. Azaleas need to harden off and stop producing buds and new growth in mid summer, not early fall. If they don't harden off, all of this new growth will freeze damage when a frost hits. We came close to a frost last night up in the Fleetwood area. Second, you should mulch these plants with something like pine park, pine needles, or oak leaves. Since these were planted recently and we had a very dry September, they aren't settled in very well. Mulching prevents frost heaving, winter damage and weeds, conserves moisture in the soil, and will keep the roots cool next summer. Third, we had a dry September so watering a new plant was a challenge. First, if you didn't open up the roots when you planted, watering may not do any good. A root ball that is not opened up can dry out and not accept water even if you water heavily. Yours actually look fairly good. But if they tend to look wilted, I would first dig up and replant correctly. Rarefind Nursery in Jackson, NJ, has an excellent set of directions on planting at: How To Plant Here is a link that might be useful: How to care for azaleas...See MoreWhat can I do for rotted roots or What is "sphag and bag?"
Comments (0)Remove the plant from the potting material, and remove all the growing medium from the roots. Next comes what is commonly referred to as the sphag and bag method. Put styrofoam packing peanuts (make sure they are the real styro by putting water on them first) or LECA, or stones, or charcoal, or mixtures of the three in the bottom of the pot. This is to improve the drainage in the pot. I then soak high quality long fiber sphagnum moss (hereafter referred to as sphag.) in rooting hormone. The long fiber moss doesnt break down as quickly and plants root well in it. Apparently, there are natural fungicides in it...or something that inhibits fungus and encourages stressed plants to root. I trim the dead roots off the plant with a clean (sterilized) single-edged razor blade or an Exacto knife, pour Physan20 on the roots, then put cinnamon on the cut areas, and rooting hormone everywhere else on whatever roots are left. I then squeeze out the sphag until it is as damp as a well-squeezed sponge. I wrap the roots in the sphag, and place it in the pot, putting more sphag loosely around the roots. Make sure you dont smash it in, as it can be really hard to re-water, or may take forever to dry causing even more rot in your plant. You may need to put a bamboo stake in the pot to keep the plant upright in the sphagnum. I then put the plant and pot in a plastic bag, but I leave the top open. This increases the humidity around the leaves and the roots, if there are any sticking out of the sphag...only usually I don't leave any aerial roots upin the air, but put them in the medium as I want the plant to maximize it's hydration. I don't close the top as I want some air circulation. This is up to what you choose to do. Some people close the bag, and use ziplock (or seal-able) bags. Someone here, and I am sorry, I forgot who, uses the veggie baggies which have little holes in it for air exchange. I have found that sometimes closing the bag is a recipe for disaster. Do not, however, let the leaves touch the plastic as that can encourage rot, not always, but I have had it happen. Blowing up the bag before sealing helps keep the bag sides away from the leaves. I don't spray the plant, as I have had bad experiences doing so. I will, however, spray the top of the medium on occassion. Usually, the plant does just as well without it. I make sure that the plant is in bright, but not direct light (i.e. normal light as the roots and leaves if they are there do undergo photosynthesis), and that the temps are a tad warmer than usual--much like you would care for a seedling. The most important thing to my mind is keeping the humidity up, as the plant has very little to replace moisture since the roots are impaired. I would never cut a leaf off a plant if it isn't yellowing. Phals do not have pseudo-bulbs so all food/moisture is stored in the roots/leaves. If you keep the ambient humidity up, the plant will pull from the air and less so from the leaves--leaves don't give up as much if the humidity is good. Thus, if you are cutting off healthy leaves, you are taking away some of the plants resources. The leaves generally do not ever come back from their leathery state, but you will get new leaves and roots. It will take quite some time for this plant to bloom again, and some folks dont think it is worth it. I am so soft that I can't give the poor little plant every shot at life. New roots will take a while...several weeks, or it can be several months. Some will recover, and some wont....See MoreRaptorRed
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