Indoor plant root rot: How to prevent, spot, treat and fix it?

What is plant root rot?

The biggest pitfall when caring for indoor plants is excessive watering. If you're enthusiastic with the watering can, you need to be extra cautious. Root rot can occur in various types of house plants, from the Sansevieria and Monstera to the Calathea and Strelitzia. Even hanging plants like the Lipstick plant are not immune to root rot. In other words, root rot can affect plants of different species and sizes.

Root rot fundamentally occurs when there's prolonged excess water around the roots. Most house plants are planted in decorative pots where excess water can’t drain away, unlike outdoor plants where excess water usually flows into the soil.

When you excessively water an indoor plant, the potting soil becomes saturated with water. This directly impacts the oxygen level in the soil. However, the plant requires oxygen through its roots to survive. If the roots receive too much water and too little oxygen, it eventually leads to root rot. Due to the growth of mould and lack of oxygen, the roots will gradually rot, degrade, and ultimately, the plant loses the ability to absorb nutrients through the roots. Unfortunately, this is usually the point at which the plant probably can no longer be saved.

You can spot and identify indoor plant root rot in many different ways. Below, we have listed the main symptoms and signs which help you spot it.

The most common symptom of root rot are yellow or drooping leaves. In addition, you can often tell whether a plant is suffering from root rot by looking at its leaves or stem, without first removing the plant from its pot to look at the roots themselves. Root rot often starts with yellow spots on the leaves, followed by drooping leaves.

Indoor plants suffering from root rot will drop leaves earlier than a healthy plant, this is also a symptom by which you could recognise root rot. In this case, the yellow spots on the leaves first turn a brown colour, then the leaves dry out and finally the leaves fall off.

Do you smell an unpleasant rotting odour after watering an indoor plant? Or does it even smell around the plant when you haven't watered it? Then root rot is most likely the culprit.

For house plants like the Dracaena, a cactus or succulent, you can spot root rot by a soft stem or stalk. This softness may even start to look a bit slimy over time.

If you spot or identify one or more of the above symptoms for your plant, this could indicate root rot. However, this isn't always necessarily the case, as a symptom can also be the result of another cause. A good way to confirm whether your house plant is actually suffering from root rot is by closely inspecting the plant's potting soil and roots.

Root rot usually causes an unpleasant rotting smell. The moment you start checking your plant's potting soil and roots, you will quickly notice the smell. In addition, root rot can be spotted by the soft, brown and sometimes mouldy roots. On the contrary, a healthy plant has sturdy roots with a cream-white colour. Both the smell and the appearance of the roots are symptoms you can see as a confirmation that your plant is suffering from root rot.

Do you suspect your indoor plant is suffering from root rot? The best approach is to carefully remove the plant from its pot and remove the potting soil from the roots. Placing the plant on an old towel can help contain any mess. Gently shake the plant to loosen the potting soil. Not all of it needs to come off, as long as you get access to the roots.

Tip: After following all the steps below, consider using fresh potting soil to refill the pot where the plant was initially potted. You can dispose of the old potting soil in a rubbish bag.

Now that the indoor plant has been removed from its pot, you can check which roots are damaged. Healthy roots are sturdy and have a cream-white colour. If you come across rotten roots, carefully cut them away using a clean knife or scissors and discard them in the rubbish bag. Be careful not to damage the healthy roots to avoid spreading bacteria or causing unnecessary damage.

After removing the damaged rotten roots, we recommend pruning a portion of the plant with a clean knife or scissors. Why, you may wonder? Pruning a part of the plant restores the balance between the remaining roots and the plant. If you've removed half of the roots, we also advise pruning approximately half of the indoor plant. The plant should have enough roots to absorb water and other nutrients.

We hope that our information and tips will assist you in improving the health of your beloved indoor plant. Hopefully, it will recover soon!