One of the most common and dangerous diseases that can happen to snake plants is root rot. This potentially fatal condition is brought on by too much water, poor drainage, or too much water around the roots. Root rot can kill a snake plant in just a few weeks if it is not treated. Luckily, snake plants can be saved from root rot if they are caught early and given the right care. This complete guide tells you how to find root rot on snake plants, treat it, and keep it from happening again.
What is Root Rot?
Root rot is a disease that affects the roots of a plant. It is caused by fungi such as Pythium, Phytophthora, and Rhizoctonia. These fungi thrive in wet, overwatered environments. The fungi infect the roots, causing them to turn brown, slimy, and mushy. Healthy white roots will turn soft and black or brown. As the roots rot away, they are unable to take in water and nutrients. This causes the leaves to wilt, yellow, and drop. Without treatment, the entire plant will eventually die.
What Causes Root Rot on Snake Plants?
The #1 cause of root rot is overwatering. Snake plants prefer infrequent but deep watering. If the soil stays constantly soggy, it creates the perfect environment for fungal growth. Other common causes include
- Poor drainage – Wet soil due to inadequate drainage holes or dense potting mix
- Excessive humidity – Constantly high humidity provides moisture fungus needs to thrive
- Compacted soil – Lack of aeration causes soils to stay wet longer
- Small pots – Roots sitting in water in an undersized container
Signs and Symptoms of Root Rot
Catching root rot early is crucial to saving the plant. Be on the lookout for these common signs:
- Wilting or drooping leaves
- Yellowing or browning leaf tips
- Mushy or damaged roots
- Soft or black sections on roots or rhizomes
- Rotten odor from soil or roots
- White fungal growth on soil or pot
- New growth dying quickly
If the entire root system is damaged, the plant may suddenly collapse or drop leaves without wilting first.
How to Treat Root Rot on Snake Plants
If you catch it early, it is possible to stop and reverse root rot. Here are the steps for treating root rot on a snake plant:
1. Remove from Soil
Carefully remove the plant from its pot and loosen the soil from roots. Shake or rinse away as much soil as possible to expose the root system.
2. Remove Dead Roots
Examine the roots and use sterile pruners or scissors to cut away any black, mushy, or rotten sections. Remove all damaged roots until only healthy white roots remain.
3. Rinse Roots
Rinse the healthy roots that are still there with water that is room temperature to get rid of any leftover dirt or fungus. Be gentle when handling the roots.
4. Apply Fungicide
To get rid of any fungus that is still there, spray or dust the roots with a fungicide made for ornamental plants. Let sit for the recommended time before replanting.
5. Repot in Fresh Soil
Repot the plant in fresh, sterile potting mix. Choose a pot with drainage holes and well-aerated soil. Only go up 1 size to avoid overwatering.
6. Hold Off on Watering
Let the soil dry out completely before watering again. This allows any cuts to heal and gives roots a chance to recover before excess moisture returns.
7. Maintain Dryer Conditions
Going forward, allow the soil to partially dry between waterings. Maintain lower humidity and soil moisture to prevent fungus from returning.
How to Prevent Root Rot
Prevention is always better than treating root rot after it occurs. Here are some tips for preventing root rot on snake plants:
- Let soil dry out between watering. Only water when top 2 inches are dry.
- Water thoroughly until it drains from holes. Avoid frequent shallow watering.
- Use pots with drainage holes and well-draining soil mixes.
- Avoid oversized pots that hold too much moisture.
- Water less in winter when plants are dormant.
- Keep humidity low, around 40-50% for snake plants.
- Provide good air circulation with fans.
- Allow plants to dry out extra after repotting or dividing.
- Don’t allow plants to sit in water. Remove excess water in saucers.
- Monitor soil moisture with a moisture meter to avoid overwatering.
Can Root Rot Spread to Other Plants?
The fungi and bacteria that cause root rot can certainly spread from an infected plant to other nearby plants through shared soil or water. To be safe, isolate any infected plants away from your healthy ones. Always sterilize gardening tools after working with an affected plant. Remove and destroy all diseased roots and soil to eradicate the fungus from your indoor garden.
Is Root Rot Reversible?
In mild cases caught early, root rot can often be reversed if treated promptly and correctly. Remove all diseased roots, treat with a fungicide, repot in fresh soil, and allow the plant to dry out for recovery. However, severe root rot with widespread damage may be impossible to reverse if it has reached the base or main roots.
Will a Snake Plant Recover from Root Rot?
With quick action, most snake plants can make a full recovery from root rot. Early intervention to remove infected roots and repot in dry, sterile soil can help it regrow a healthy root system. However, if the rot reaches the main roots or rhizome, the prognosis worsens. In severe cases, the damage may be too much for the plant to bounce back from, even with treatment.
Can a Snake Plant Survive Without Roots?
If all of the original roots have rotted away, it is still possible for a snake plant to regrow new roots and survive. Take cuttings of a few healthy leaves and propagate them in water or moist soil. This allows them to form fresh new roots. Transition the newly rooted cuttings back to potting mix once the roots are 1-2 inches long. With proper care, these rootless cuttings can grow into full snake plants again.
Root rot can be disheartening, but catching it early and taking swift action can save your snake plant. Inspect plants frequently, allow soil to dry between waterings, provide good drainage, and properly treat any signs of root rot. With attentive care and preventative growing conditions, your snake plants can continue thriving for years to come.
What Is Root Rot?
Root rot is a disease that can affect many plants. What is it? Root rot is an umbrella term for a group of diseases that break down the roots. The disease is generally a fungal infection.
Root rot is easy to spot because the leaves are wilted, turning yellow, or being pale, and the soil smells like mildew or rotten food. In some cases, visible fungal growth may be present. If root rot is suspected, further evidence can be found by examining the plants roots. If root rot is present, the roots will look brown to black and in extreme cases be mushy, slimy and smell foul.
Why Are Snake Plants Susceptible To Root Rot?
What causes root rot in snake plants? Overwatered snake plants are most prone to root rot. When you overwater your snake plant, which is fairly drought resistant, oxygen is squelched. This allows hundreds of species of soil-borne bacteria and fungi flourish. Some fungi that cause root rot include Fusarium, Phytophthora, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia which thrive in wet soil. Hand-in-hand with overwatering, is a snake plant that is in compacted soil or a soil that is not well-draining.
Overwatering? Root Rot? Saving My Snakeplant // JerseyWifeJerseyLife
FAQ
How to fix leaf rot on a snake plant?
Why Are My Snake Plant Leaves Turning Yellow?Remove any infected roots using sterilized scissors or a knife. Remove affected leaves to help your plant direct energy to new, healthy growth. Repot the snake plant in fresh, well-draining soil suitable for succulents.
Can a plant recover from root rot on its own?
After the soil dries out a bit, plants with mild root rot may recover on their own without any additional intervention. However, if you have plants with advanced signs of rot, the following treatment steps will help.
Does cinnamon help with root rot?
While cinnamon has antifungal properties and can help prevent root rot in some cases, it’s not a reliable treatment for established root rot.
How to save a snake plant with no roots?
To save a snake plant with no roots, you can either propagate it in water or plant it directly into a well-draining potting mix. If using water, place the base of the plant (or leaf cuttings) in a jar of water, ensuring a node is submerged. For soil, use a cactus/succulent mix, plant the stem or leaf cuttings, and water sparingly.
What causes snake plant root rot?
The primary cause of snake plant root rot is excessive watering. Remove the infected soft and rotten root system with sterilized garden shears to fix the problem. After that, repot the plant in a new container filled with fresh new soil. To avoid standing water, ensure that the soil and pot have adequate drainage.
How do you treat a snake plant rot?
Apply the powder to the snake plant’s roots. Your plant should be fine at this early stage of root rot. If you find root rot, you should replace all of the old soil with new soil. You must disinfect the soil with a potassium permanganate solution or boiling water.
Why is my snake plant wilting?
If your snake plant appears to be wilting or toppling over, or its leaves are bent, then it may have root rot. Snake plants are succulents, meaning they hold onto water within their leaves.