What are the causes of root rot in clivia and what are the prevention and control methods?

Many growers often run into various problems when growing clivia, especially when a perfectly healthy clivia seedling suddenly develops issues, yet when they check the plant itself they find nothing wrong. At this point you need to check the roots, because with larger planting quantities there are always spots that get overlooked. Below, the editor introduces several common causes of root rot and their prevention and control.

1. Fertilizer burning the roots

In the early stage of raising seedlings, many growers place base fertilizer to help clivia grow better, but when placing the base fertilizer they cover it with too little soil on top. As a result, once the clivia roots grow even slightly, the initially delicate young roots come into direct contact with the base fertilizer, causing severe root burn. Another case is the habitual regular topdressing later on, which leads to fertilizer accumulating excessively; when water is applied during topdressing, the fertilizer decomposes rapidly and then clings to the root system, also causing root burn. So in the early stage, the soil covering the base fertilizer should be 5-8 cm or even more, and later topdressing should depend on the situation - only topdress when there is a nutrient deficiency.

2. Waterlogging

Waterlogging is a fairly common cause of root rot and a mistake many growers often make. Many friends choose sprinkler irrigation for convenience, which causes many clivia plants to receive uneven water and makes it hard to notice, so water at the bottom soaks the clivia roots and eventually causes rot. You can insert a stick into the soil at the edge of the clivia pot, then put in a dry stick and check the moisture level to tell whether there is waterlogging. If grown in pots, you can make holes in the bottom to prevent waterlogging and let excess water drain out.

3. Pathogens

The incidence rate of disease in clivia is relatively low among plants, but once it appears it very easily infects other seedlings. The most common disease is root rot. When it strikes there are obvious symptoms: first the clivia looks very wilted and lifeless, then the roots appear extremely moist and give off an unusual smell. After the disease appears, it is best to replace the growing soil and remove the rotted roots, then later drench the roots with a 1200-fold dilution of 70% dexon to achieve prevention and control.

4. Unsuitable soil

Clivia is a plant that prefers acidity, so if the soil is on the alkaline side it will seriously cause problems with its roots. If the selected soil is rather heavy and tends to compact, root rot can also occur, because such soil seriously hinders normal root growth. In this case you must change the soil immediately, keeping the soil pH at around 6-6.5; the soil should be fine and textured, and soil with low stickiness after watering is the first choice. For better aeration you can also mix in some sand.

The above are several causes of root rot in clivia, and the prevention and control methods have been introduced here as well, which growers can use for reference. For more information you can follow our website.