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Plants keep dying from root rot?

8 years ago

Hello,

I recently purchsed a plant online. The grower calls it, "plectranthus tomentoues".

The first plant I received died fairly soon after it arrived and was dropping leaves and shrivelling soon after unpacking.

The grower replaced the plant and I recieved another which appeared healthy.

I followed the care instructions carefully. I placed it by a north facing window indoors and left it in its original container so that it could get used to the new environment before potting up. Since the soil was moist on arrival, I hadn't watered it because it is said to be sensitive to overwatering.

It had been about a week since receiving the new plant and today I noticed leaves dropping from the base and the stem has become black and mushy at the base.

Can anyone explain why this keeps happening?

Here is a link to the site I bought it from and a pic of what the plant looks like:

http://www.taylorgreenhouses.com/plectranthus-tomentoues---mint-swedish-ivy.html

Many thanks!

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Comments (5)

Jean
8 years ago
Where do you live?

Where is the grower?

If it was shipped to you, or sat outdoors for a while., it may have been damaged by cold.
Megan Easely thanked Jean
Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
8 years ago
I agree it was probably damaged during shipping. The good news is Plectranthus is very easy to root. You could probably cut it off above the black and root it in water or perlite very easily.
Megan Easely thanked Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
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Yes, you can cut. Feel the stem. Is it squishy? You will want to cut the stem back until you reach healthy tissue (start at the roots, of course). I see some brown on the stem. I would start cutting there, and work up. Keep cutting until you reach tissue with no black or brown. You want creamy white-green. After you finish cutting, dust with cinnamon to discourage disease and rot. Let the cut stem sit out of soil for a few days (in a dry, dim, cool place). the cut end will feel rough and hard (not moist or juicy). Put it in new DRY soil. I would suggest using 60% perlite and 40% cactus and succulent mix. wash the perlite to get out the dust. Don't breathe in the dust, either- it is harmful to the lungs. Prop up the stem in the soil with rocks, so it stays upright. In a few weeks, you should see roots :) Don't check often for roots, or you may break existing ones. It is best to wait until you see new growth, and then you can water a bit. The soil you have in the picture looks like it has a large contingent of peat. Peat holds water for a long time, and that rots the roots. By doing the above mix, you can avoid rot, but still be careful with watering. To check if you need to water, you can use a wooden skewer. Poke it into the soil, and if it comes out dry, you can water. Good luck! ~palmsandsnow
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Megan Easely
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Thank you for your comments, I live in Texas. The grower lives in New York, although they are said to grow their plants in a green house.

I thought of cutting it and trying to root it. I will try that!
Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
8 years ago
That is probably your problem, a plant left in a cold car for even 5 minutes can cause significant damage. If the plant was not packed with a heat pack then it definitely got damage on the trip. It is nobody's fault but the seller should probably not be shipping this time of year, especially if the plant was grown in a greenhouse. They should also have unpotted the plant and shipped it bare root if you live in Texas. Some states are very strict about soil crossing their borders, Texas is one of them.

Side note: That's why I try to always carry a styrofoam box in my car for all of those cart jumpers I seem to find at 40 degrees outside with 10 other places still to go.
Megan Easely
Original Author
8 years ago
I see, makes sense. I've never ordered plants online and I was wondering what, if any, guidelines there where for shipping plants during certain times of the year. Thank you for the tip!

At this point, I'm just hoping I can salvage the remains!

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