How to Treat and Prevent Root Rot in Money Trees

Prevent root rot in money trees – Everything has a good or bad influence in the realm of Feng-Sui, depending on where it is placed and other variables. While this may seem absurd to some, a very similar sort of connection has occurred for a very long time with plants. Take, for example, the money tree: it’s a symbol of wealth and prosperity.

Many plants are called “money trees,” such as the cacao tree, which has beans that were once used as real money, and the Pachira aquatica and Pachira glabra, which are also called “money plants.” A man found the plant after praying for money and made a fortune selling the seeds.

The most widely planted money tree, however, is Crassula ovata, often known as the jade plant. This plant is easy to care for and rarely gets sick, but root rot is a big problem that could kill your money plant if it’s left untreated for a long time.

What Causes Root Rot in Money Trees and How to Fix it?

When it comes to root rot, the most important thing to remember is to discover it early and prevent its causes from ever occurring in the first place. The good news is that most plants can be saved if they are treated quickly and effectively before the rot takes hold.

Root rot occurs as a consequence of either insufficient care or cross-contamination of the plant. Irregular watering is the most common cause of root rot in residential areas. Watering money plants and the majority of other plants should only be done using the soak-and-dry approach.

However, blocked or insufficient drainage holes, compacted soil, or the use of a container that is too large may all cause water to stagnate in the soil, which can lead to fungal diseases (such as most forms of root rot).

Another common reason is cross-contamination, which can happen if you don’t sanitize your tools, have bugs, or work in dirty soil.

The Signs and Symptoms of Root Rot in Money Trees

Many symptoms should be kept an eye out for, and regrettably, the early signals might be indicative of additional problems as well as the first one. However, you may typically use a process of elimination to determine whether or not the plant has root rot before you pull up the plant completely.

It is the first symptom of trouble when the leaves begin to turn brown or yellow, and these damaged leaves may begin to wilt shortly after they have begun to change. You might also notice that the plant’s growth has slowed down, but there are no visible roots to show that root-binding is to blame.

Over-watering is the most common cause of root rot in plants, so stick your finger into the soil to check its moisture level. Lean into the plant and sniff the dirt to see if you can detect a musty or moldy odor. If the soil seems to be a bit too moist, water the plant well.

The last confirmation symptom is to look at the root system itself. This should always be the last confirmation symptom, though.

In the event that you believe a plant has root rot, do not remove it from the soil. Remove the plant from its pot by carefully sliding it out of the pot. This way, you won’t do any more damage.

When you pinch or handle healthy money tree roots, you will see that they are white or almost white with good, firm flesh.

Plants suffering from root rot, on the other hand, will have gray, dark brown, or (if the root is dead) black roots that are mushy and have an unpleasant odor.

The Treatment of Root Rot in Money Trees

It’s a good thing, however, since root rot is rather simple to cure if it’s discovered early enough. The procedure is almost the same for all popular varieties of money trees and money plants.

#1. Confirm the Presence of Root Rot

Consider the symptoms and rule out the possibility of any other underlying disorders by using the process of elimination.

This is important not only for treating the rot, but also for preventing more problems by getting rid of the root of the problem.

#2. Determine the Extent of the Damage

Examine the roots and make an educated guess about the extent of the damage. If your plant’s roots are contaminated to less than 50% of their whole area, there is a fair chance you will be able to rescue it. Nevertheless, 50% to 75% of its total area will be a fight.

If more than 75% of the roots are infected, it’s best to get rid of the plant because only a few plants can grow back their whole rot system.

You may also want to examine the foliage to determine the extent of the damage, since most plants will suffer significant harm if they lose more than 13 of their leaves throughout the course of their growth season (money plants, on the other hand, can withstand up to 23 defoliation).

#4. Get Rid of the Rotten Meat

Perform the following actions at this point:

Take a sharp, sterilized knife or set of shears, as well as isopropyl or rubbing alcohol, and start cutting (the higher the percentage, the better).

Remove each unhealthy root by snipping it off at the base with care.

Between each cut, dunk your instrument in some rubbing alcohol.

Furthermore, you should place the contaminated parts in a seal-able plastic bag so that they do not contaminate the rest of your workstation.

#4. Remove any Leaves or Stems that have been Damaged

After that, look at the leaves and remove any that are badly damaged, either by pinching them or by cutting them with sterile scissors.

This will not only improve the appearance of your plant, but it will also help the plant allocate more resources to the healthier portions of the plant.

Money plants are rather resilient, which means that a plant with one-third of its roots infected may have up to two-thirds of its leaves trimmed away.

Remember that your plant will have a difficult time collecting nutrients, water, and photosynthesizing while it is recovering, so don’t prune too heavily or leave too much harm behind when you prune.

If you have a braided money tree, it is really a group of money trees that have been trained together rather than just one. You may remove a broken stem by carefully unweaving it from the others and separating the roots from the stem’s base. On the other hand, if you have a single-stem plant, any major damage to the stem signifies that the plant is doomed.

In certain cases, if the stem hasn’t withered away from the plant, you may be able to remove some healthy cuttings for use in propagating new plants.

#5. Sterilize the Surviving Roots

Once you’ve completed removing any obvious signs of root rot, you’ll need to check to make sure no bacteria or fungus is left behind.

It is as easy as putting the root system in a solution of one part bleach to ten parts water and letting it sit for thirty minutes.

Others prefer to soak the roots in fungicide, even though this won’t stop the less common bacterial root rot. They can also apply the fungicide directly to the roots. The root air drying process will take 2 to 3 days if you opt to use the bleach solution as a disinfectant.

#6. Repotting the Plants

Choose a new container that is the proper size for your plant and has enough drainage holes to keep it from drowning.

Additionally, you may decide to add a 12 to 1-inch layer of aquarium stones or gravel to the bottom of the container in order to provide an additional buffer zone.

It is possible to reuse the old pot if you soak it for at least 30 minutes in a solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water, but any old soil should be disposed of properly.

Make use of new potting media, avoiding any low-grade mixtures from firms with a poor reputation for product quality and reliability (most companies skip sterilization to cut costs, although companies like Miracle-Gro are well-known for their quality control and affordable potting soils).

Before planting, mix in some coarse sand or perlite to keep the soil from compacting and softly water it in. You should wait a month or two before you fertilize the plant to give it a fighting chance to recover.