Kalanchoe black rot in autumn: what to do when the whole pot of leaves has rotted?

I thought that once autumn arrived, there would be nothing more to worry about with my flowers, but I never expected this! My kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) accidentally turned into a "dark beauty," with stems and leaves all blackened, and before long it had turned completely black! What should I do?

Why kalanchoe gets black rot in autumn

Kalanchoe counts as a succulent; it goes dormant in summer and gradually resumes growth when the weather turns cooler. But in the early stage the root system is still rather fragile, so too much watering, or sunlight that is too strong (the midday sun is still fiercely hot right now), and it easily gets black rot!

What to do about kalanchoe black rot

Keep it away from other plants at home

Black rot is somewhat contagious, so once you discover it, you must separate the kalanchoe from other healthy plants.

Prune and disinfect

If you can spot it in time, immediately clean away the blackened leaves. And apply a fungicidal disinfectant. To avoid further infection, a thorough disinfection is recommended: drench the roots with carbendazim and spray all the leaves.

Rest the roots and repot

Sometimes black rot spreads starting from the root system. If the above-ground parts have already been disinfected and treated and the kalanchoe still shows no improvement, it is recommended to immediately take it out of the pot, prune the roots, change to fresh soil and replant.

Prevent trouble before it starts

Since you worry about black rot every time, you might as well take preventive measures in advance. In late summer and early autumn, every time you water, mix in a little carbendazim to disinfect ahead of time.