Saving Snake Plant from Root Rot
The plant may be revived if you catch it during the early onset stage of the disease. If it has root rot, determine if it can be saved. If the roots have already been damaged beyond repair, there is no choice but to throw away the plant. Make sure you discard the plant with care so it does not come into contact with healthy plants. Ensure the tools and pot are sterile before disposing the plant.
You can attempt to bring back your plant’s health if there is still living root tissue, but rotten tissue may be widespread. While many leaves are dead, a snake plant is still able to grow new pups as long as healthy, firm roots remain. You must act swiftly and begin the treatment ASAP to give your plant the best chances of survival.
Treatment for Rot
Remove the snake plant from the soil and wash the roots quickly under running water. Don’t be hard on the plant, and pick off all of the infected soil with your fingers. You should carefully inspect the roots after the roots have been cleaned.
Cut away all the affected parts using a sharp, sterilized pair of shears. Remove the brownish, mushy roots. There may be a significant amount of roots that need to be removed from the plant if it is suffering from severe root rot. If the leaf is yellow, wilted or older, then you should remove one-third of the leaves with the shears again. Starting with the yellow, wilted and older leaves to restore the plant’s health. Older leaves are found on the outer side of the plant, while new leaves emerge from the center. Remove the flower stalk if you see it. This will result in a reduction of plant stress, since it will not need to support as many leaves.
You can skip this step, but it is recommended. Add fungicide to the healthy roots or dip them in the pesticide to get rid of any possible root rot fungi. There are a variety of fungicides listed in the following section. You may choose any one of them.
Finally, pot the plant up in fresh soil. Use a clean, dry, sandy soil mix with good drainage and pot it in a container with good drainage. Reusable pots should be cleaned thoroughly with 1 part bleach and 9 parts water for at least 10 minutes. Then rinse them thoroughly with clean, hot water, and let them air dry completely. Next, plant your Sansevieria in a pot at the same depth.
Treatment for the Fungus
To make sure that the pathogens are wiped off completely and that your plant won’t be attacked by them again in the future, you should treat it with some fungicides. Here are some commonly encountered types.
Cinnamon
An amazing ingredient in this spice is cinnamaldehyde, a natural fungicide with low toxicity. It has been used by indigenous civilizations for thousands of years.
It has been proven that it is effective against a broad array of fungal infections in over 40 types of crops. Cinnamon is best used for controlling soil gnats, protecting seedlings, and preventing root rot. Additional benefits include the scent repelling both cats and dogs who are mildly toxiphobic to snake plants.
When you have trimmed away the diseased leaves from your snake plant, dust some cinnamon over the roots. Apply it on the stumps, too. Also, don’t forget to add cinnamon essential oil to the soil. If you don’t have any carrier oil, use grapeseed oil instead.
Neem oil
Also available as an organic multi-purpose product is neem oil. As a result of the neem tree, this oil is extracted from the kernels of the fruit. A good fungicide will take care of fungus, mildew, mildew, insects and nematodes. An all natural insecticide can get rid of worms, spiders and more.
Neem oil diluted in warm water in a mild liquid soap binds with water to form a spray. Add a teaspoon of neem oil and shake it before spraying directly on the plant parts having the symptoms.
Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)
Hydrogen peroxide is another possible root rot treatment that is easily accessible. When small amounts of peroxide are mixed with water, they break down into water and oxygen molecules. These insects help control fungus gnats by providing oxygen to plant roots. Despite the leaves of a plant using carbon dioxide, the root system still needs oxygen.
Dip the roots and other affected parts in the diluted solution before repotting. Prepare the solution by diluting 1 teaspoon of 3% H2O2 solution in a cup of water. Hydrogen peroxide can also be mixed into the soil or added in the watering can. When watering a snake plant, add about 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide to 100ml of water. You can use it either for dipping roots, mixing it in soil, or watering. Don’t try switching between the three at the same time. much.
Commercial fungicide
A prescription fungicide might be an effective treatment for the fungus, but could possibly damage beneficial soil microorganisms. Saving the plant when possible would be the best course of action, as this process can make the plant weaker and prone to rot.
Aftercare
The plant should be left alone for a couple of days after being repotted.
When you return to your regular watering schedule, water the plant sparingly for the first few days as it recovers its root system and begins to grow new leaves. Because the root system of the plant is shrinking, it requires less water. Water only when the top of the soil becomes dry.
Do not place the plant directly in the sun. A moderate amount of bright light is fine.
It’s best to avoid fertilizer until the plant is healthy again. Compromised roots will not absorb the nutrients and could burn. Fertilizers aren’t medicines, so they shouldn’t be used on sick plants.
It is hoped that, now that your snake plant has recovered, you will get your beautiful houseplant back.