What to do if your plants get root rot from overwatering? Add a little of this to the potting soil and you won't have to worry

For beginners at growing flowers, most plants die from being overwatered too frequently, and in many cases the potting soil easily becomes compacted, which is also what causes water to pool in the pot or the roots to have trouble breathing, and that makes plants very prone to problems.

1. Charcoal

Charcoal that has been completely burned through is a very loose, water-retaining medium, and its heat-insulating and heat-absorbing effects are also quite good. At the same time, charcoal has a certain adsorptive and sterilizing effect. When propagating plants from cuttings, using charcoal as a medium can promote rooting and raise the survival rate of the cuttings.

Adding an appropriate amount of charcoal to the potting soil can keep the soil at the bottom of the pot from clogging the drainage holes, and can also improve the soil's drainage and aeration, so it can effectively prevent plants from dying because of too much watering.

2. Pine needle soil

Under pine trees there is usually a thick layer of pine needles, and beneath the pine needles there is some dark brown soil; this is pine needle soil that has slowly decomposed naturally. When you are out and about, you can dig some up by hand and take it home to grow flowers. Before using pine needle soil, it is best to disinfect it first, because wild pine needle soil may contain some insect eggs, so it needs to be sterilized by sun exposure before use.

This kind of soil has good fertility and is rich in humus, so it can provide plenty of nutrients, and pine needle soil also has a certain water-retaining capacity.

Besides the soils introduced above, we can also add a little sand, pine bark, wood shavings, perlite, clay pebbles and so on to the soil. These generally ensure the soil's aeration and water permeability, which can also greatly reduce the chance of plants developing root rot.