Peperomia is a perennial plant known for its ornamental foliage that beautifies indoor spaces and gardens. Although not susceptible to many plant diseases, peperomia plants are mostly affected by pythium, a disease that leads to stem and root rot. So what causes root rot in peperomia?
Peperomia root rot is a fungal infection that mostly occurs when peperomia plants are overwatered. When the root is excessively watered, the anaerobic conditions in the waterlogged soil lead to pythium, a fungal infection. Signs of root rot usually include drooping, discolored leaves, and wilting.
Interested to learn more about peperomia root rot? Then you couldn’t be in a better place. In this read, we’ll talk about the dos and don’ts of caring for your peperomia plant.
What Is Root Rot?
Root rot is a potentially fatal disease that attacks the roots of plants, especially those growing in damp or wet soil. Prolonged exposure to soggy conditions prevents roots from absorbing enough oxygen.
As a result, the oxygen-starved roots start to rot, dying slowly. The worst part about root rot is that it spreads to the healthier parts of the root, consequently affecting the entire root and plant if immediate action isn’t taken.
Another cause of root rot in peperomia is fungi infection. Most soil fungi are usually dormant, but overwatering the soil creates a soggy environment that activates the fungi, consequently leading to bacterial and fungi infections.
Some of the well-known fungi species that are notorious for causing root rot include Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium. However, pythium is the leading cause of root rot in peperomia plants.
Identifying Root Rot in Peperomia Plants
As one of the most severe diseases affecting peperomia plants, root rot should be treated with utmost urgency. But to treat root rot, you must first be able to diagnose it, which can be pretty challenging considering it’s a disease that affects roots.
To identify root rot in peperomia plants, be keen on the following symptoms.
Quick or Gradual Decline Without Any Reason
When handling house plants such as peperomia, you’ll need to observe it regularly in order to detect any irregular developments such as wilting. Root rot will gradually shrink the size of leaves, leaving them looking pale and lifeless.
Yellowed, Wilted or Browned Leaves
Root rot will prevent the peperomia’s roots from functioning optimally. The poor rate of water, nutrients, and oxygen absorption will gradually start to affect the leaves. Over time, you’ll notice the peperomia’s leaves will become yellow or brown, most of them falling on the pot.
Affected Roots Look Black and Feel Mushy
If you’re unsure about root rot and want to confirm by checking the roots, you’ll need to use both your eyes and hands. Besides feeling mushy, roots affected by root rot will have a dark-ish appearance. Some of the unhealthy sub roots might fall off at your touch.
While healthy roots might also be black or pale in appearance, they’ll be firm and pliable, an indication that your peperomia plant might be salvaged. However, healthy roots should always be firm and have a whitish appearance.
Treating Root Rot in Peperomia Plants
Peperomia plants are not high maintenance plants. In fact, Peperomias are among the easiest house plants to maintain. All you need is to regulate the amount of water your plant receives, and you’ll almost certainly eliminate the risk of root rot. And since these plants aren’t big on water, you won’t need to water them every other day.
However, if your peperomia plant is already infected with root rot, consider observing the following steps to treat it.
Examine the Root
Just because a section of your root has rotted doesn’t mean the entire root system is infected. Wash the roots in running water, keeping an eye out for rotten roots. But, if the whole root system is mushy, chances are your peperomia plant is dead, and it’s just a matter of time before the entire plant wilts.
However, if after rinsing your plant’s roots in clean water you realize that there is an uninfected section, proceed to the next step.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on August 22, 2020.
Use Clean Scissors or Shears to Cut the Affected Roots
As you get started on this step, be psychologically prepared that you might need to cut a large portion of your Peperomia’s root- so don’t be too scared.
Cut off all the affected areas, leaving only the good parts. While not mandatory, it’s advisable to rub alcohol on the scissors before moving to the next step.
Prune Back Some of the Leaves
To avoid straining your now tiny root, it’s crucial to remove some of the leaves. Reducing the number of leaves ensures that the root doesn’t have too many leaves to support, which is ideal as your plant continues to recover.
Avoid cutting too many leaves as this can lead to reduced light absorption.
Disinfect the Pot
While it’s vital to act fast and repot the plant in the soonest time possible, cleaning the pot is of utmost importance if you want to overcome the root rot.
Get rid of the potted soil and clean the pot in running water. If possible, wash the pot in a bleach solution to eliminate all fungi inside. Always mix the bleach with water, ensuring that the mixture is more water (80%) than bleach (20%).
Dip the Roots in a Fungicide Solution
You’ll want to ensure that the roots are free of any fungi before replanting. For this step, it is advisable to use a high-quality fungicide solution like the Disease Control Fungicide by Monterey.
The fungicide solution will help to kill off the remaining (if any) root rot fungus. Disclaimer, you should dip the roots in the fungus solution as opposed to soaking it for long.
Repot the Peperomia Plant
Be extra careful when repotting your plant since it’s at its most fragile state. The roots are still weak, meaning they’ll need just the right type of soil. And since peperomias don’t fancy too much water, you should pot the plant in soil with good drainage to avoid waterlog or soaking incidences.
Ensure that the plant is watered only when the topsoil is dry. Also, since your plant will be attempting to rebuild its root system, you shouldn’t overburden it by fertilizing. Wait for the plant to fully recover before adding fertilizers to the soil.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on August 22, 2020.
Observe Your Peperomia Plant Regularly
The best way to treat your plant and ensure it recovers from peperomia root rot is by observing it after repotting. Be on the look-out for signs of recovery or re-infection since root rot can resurface, especially if you didn’t cut off all the affected roots or disinfect the pot properly.
Check on how the new leaves grow and the plant’s overall appearance to ensure you spot potential infections early enough.
Final Thoughts
Peperomias are perennial plants grown for their ornamental foliage, which looks amazing in indoor or garden settings. And while these plants don’t require much care or maintenance to thrive, they’re pretty sensitive to water, making them prone to root rot.
Therefore, it is advisable to check your watering frequency when dealing with peperomias. Overwatering peperomias will lead to waterlogged soils, which provides a perfect environment for fungi to thrive and attack the roots.
Signs such as discolored (brown or yellow) leaves and wilting often point to peperomia root rot. The best way to treat this potentially fatal root condition is to act with urgency. That is, open up the roots and cut off the infected areas.
ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on August 22, 2020.
And to prevent recurrent root rot, disinfecting the pot or replanting on a new one is recommended.