What to do about yellow leaves and root rot in hydroponic plants? Charcoal and aspirin can cure it
Now more and more people like to grow plants hydroponically, simply putting the plants in water. This is not only more decorative, but also very convenient for everyday care, and hydroponics is cleaner than soil culture, so it does not get soil everywhere. But hydroponic plants often develop yellow leaves and root rot as they grow, or become more and more wilted, and just will not survive. If you run into these situations, do not rush to throw them out. Below, the editor will teach you to add a little something to the bottle, which can make hydroponic plants grow more vigorously!
For hydroponics at home, people generally choose plants like pothos, spider plant or pennywort. Actually, as long as the roots are well cared for, yellow leaves and failure to survive are less likely to happen. Besides changing the water often, you can also add a piece of charcoal to the water. Charcoal has very good water absorption and water retention, and can also absorb impurities in the water, keeping the water clean. It also contains a variety of mineral elements, which can promote plant root growth, and has a very good anti-rot effect.
If you are growing lucky bamboo hydroponically, you can also add a rusty iron nail to the water. After the iron nail rusts, it produces substances such as ferrous oxide, which release a great many iron ions. This can provide the plant with abundant iron, and is also easily absorbed by the plant. Or add a few drops of nutrient solution to the water, so the water is rich in nutrients, and the plant will grow better and better.
If the plants at home grow especially slowly, and the leaves all stay very small, you can also grind one to two aspirin tablets into powder, dilute it with water at a ratio of 1:1000, and then just add about 10 drops of the aspirin solution to the water of the hydroponic plant every ten days. It can sterilise and disinfect, and also promote rooting in plants.
What should you do when the flowers and plants you grow have root rot?
Actually, when plants at home die for no apparent reason
99% of the time it is because of root rot
It is just that in the early stages of root rot, you cannot spot it
Of course, when root rot happens, you cannot just let it die
Let me teach you how to prevent and deal with it!
Pothos
Pothos grows well in summer, and everyone has a pot at home, but if pothos is watered too much in summer, it is also very prone to root rot. If you see the pothos leaves turning yellow and wilting, be sure to part the leaves and check the roots and stems. If you find they have gone soft, then it is root rot.
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What to do about root rot?
Dig the pothos out of the flowerpot, remove the soil, and wash the roots. Cut off all the blackened and softened roots of the pothos. If the stems of the pothos are also rotting, then cut off all the rotted stems and roots, leaving the healthy ones.
Then soak the trimmed pothos in carbendazim or another disinfectant solution for 3-5 minutes, then take it out and let it dry for half an hour.
Replant the pothos stems into soil or a hydroponic bottle. The soil must be clean and free of pathogens. You can also cut old clothes into strips to use as soil to help the pothos root. For the replanted pothos, spray the soil surface moist, do not water it completely through, and keep it in a cool, ventilated place for care.
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How do you grow pothos?
Do not overwater pothos in summer. Water only when you touch the surface potting soil and find it dry and pale, and there should be no standing water in the pot. Choose the right time to water; water in the morning and evening, not at noon.
When growing pothos in summer, pay attention to ventilation. Be sure to open the windows every day to let out excess moisture, and naturally there will be less root rot. At the same time, never fertilise pothos in summer!
Clivia
Clivia can be said to be a plant everyone loves. Its steady and beautiful shape, its relatively easy-to-grow nature, and its evergreen appearance all make it much loved by flower growers.
But clivia is also very prone to root rot, especially in summer. If you find that your clivia suddenly turns yellow and its leaves become thin, it is most likely root rot. You can poke the leaves and roots to see whether they have gone soft.
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What to do about root rot?
When clivia has root rot, immediately take the plant out of the pot, replace the soil that has already been infected by bacteria, and keep only the plant's roots.
Then wash the roots clean, cut off the already rotted roots, and keep the healthy parts.
Next, spray the roots with some disinfectant. You can use potassium permanganate or carbendazim; both can be bought at flower shops and pharmacies!
Then coat the wounds with charcoal powder or fine ash, put it outdoors in the sunlight for about 10 minutes, and use ultraviolet light to sterilise. Then replant it back into healthy soil. If you do this in time, clivia will most likely be saved; if you let it wither and yellow, it is finished!
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How do you grow clivia?
When caring for clivia, be sure not to let the temperature get too high or the ventilation be poor, as this very easily causes root rot.
When growing clivia in summer, be sure to water less; too much water very easily causes rot! Roots are also prone to rot when injured, so when repotting, be sure to coat broken wounds with a little charcoal or fine ash and let them dry.
For growing clivia, it is best to use a ceramic pot. Porcelain pots and plastic pots may cause root rot because of poor air and water permeability.
Lucky Bamboo
Many people like to grow lucky bamboo at home. It also carries the meaning of wealth and well-being, and looks very nice. Although it is very resilient, people often complain that they accidentally kill it.
If you find that the lucky bamboo you grow at home has drooping leaves and yellow leaves, take it out and check whether the roots have turned black and soft. If so, then it is root rot, and you must treat it quickly!
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What to do about root rot?
Use scissors to cut off the rotted, softened and foul-smelling roots,
If all the roots have rotted,
then cut off the entire rooting area,
until the cut surface is fresh and healthy.
Then apply some carbendazim or potassium permanganate to the wounds of the lucky bamboo,
and also wipe the stems with carbendazim solution,
then put it in a cool, ventilated place to dry for half an hour.
Pour out the water in the original hydroponic bottle or the soil in the pot,
then wash the vase and flowerpot clean with boiling water,
to avoid root rot happening again.
Plant it back, and the lucky bamboo will be thriving again!
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How do you grow lucky bamboo?
Lucky bamboo needs frequent water changes, to avoid the water becoming cloudy,
breeding bacteria, and causing foul smell and root rot.
Put a little aspirin powder, or salt, into the hydroponic bottle,
both can sterilise and disinfect, keep the water clean,
speed up the growth of the lucky bamboo, and prevent root rot.
Lucky bamboo should avoid direct sunlight, to prevent the water temperature from getting too high,
which would lead to root rot. Just keep it indoors as usual.
Do not fertilise lucky bamboo in summer,
fertilising once a month is enough,
more than that easily burns the roots and causes root rot.
Succulents
Succulents are all thought to be easy to grow,
summer is the season when they are most likely to die,
and with one careless moment, a succulent can meet its end.
Once you see succulent leaves drying out, turning yellow or black,
or dropping off, be sure to pay attention to whether it is root rot!
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What to do about root rot?
After taking the succulent out of the flowerpot, shake off the soil,
then cut off the rotted roots,
dry it in the sun for half a day, then replant it into the soil,
and be sure not to water it. Wait until it grows roots, then water it thoroughly.
If most of the stem has turned black,
we should quickly take off the healthy leaves for cuttings.
Choose ones that have not been infected by pathogens,
plump and complete stems and leaves,
after removing them, let them dry for 2 days in a place with indirect light and good ventilation,
then lay them flat or insert them at a 45 degree angle on the surface of the soil.
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How do you grow succulents?
In summer, succulents must be watered less,
especially when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees,
cut off water entirely. If a succulent is really too dry,
you can water a little along the edge of the pot at night.
In summer, be sure to shade succulents,
do not let them bake in the sun outdoors, and do not let them get rained on.
Succulents grown indoors very easily develop black rot because of poor ventilation,
so open the windows every day for ventilation.
Once a succulent rots, be sure to repot it in time,
the survival rate is as high as 9 out of 10!
Spider Plant, Snake Plant
Spider plants and snake plants both have fleshy roots,
with strong water storage capacity. Poor ventilation, overwatering,
and excessively high temperatures can all lead to root rot.
If the root and stem area of a spider plant turns black,
you need to check whether it is root rot.
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What to do about root rot?
Dig out the spider plant's root system and check the extent of the rot.
If the root system is completely rotted and softened,
then there is no saving it, just throw it away.
If only part of the root system is rotted, then it can still be saved.
Cut off the rotted and softened roots,
soak in carbendazim or potassium permanganate solution for 5-10 minutes,
then take it out and let it dry for 15-20 minutes.
Discard the original soil and change to new soil,
then replant the spider plant into the pot,
put it in a place with indirect light and good ventilation for care,
and spray the leaf surface with water 1-2 times a day.
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How do you grow orchids?
Spider plants and snake plants both have fleshy roots like radishes,
with very strong water storage capacity, so they are also relatively drought tolerant.
In summer, watering once every 1-2 weeks is enough,
only water once the soil in the pot has dried out completely,
if it is not dry, never water it, and do not water too much when you do,
and it is best to control the water in time.
Plants such as spider plants and snake plants grown at home also need good ventilation,
do not shut them up in a small hot and humid room or greenhouse,
as they easily get root rot.
These methods for saving flowers from root rot
are actually much the same
and many flowers have similar symptoms and methods
so take a look at the other flowers at home too!
Sprinkle a little of this into the hydroponic bottle, and the plants will not turn yellow for 10 years and will grow like crazy
Magnetized water
Magnetized water, as the name suggests, is water that has been magnetized with a magnet or similar object. It has long been used in agriculture to increase seed germination rates, speed up rooting, and boost crop height, root length and stem thickness. Of course, it can also be used to grow flowers!
(Source: Physics Qinglan Network)
How to use
1. Put a magnet in a basin of water and leave it in the sun for half a day before use.
2. Magnets can be found everywhere in daily life, including old radios and old speakers. A small piece of magnet is enough to magnetize the water, so gardeners do not need to buy one specially.
(Source: Agricultural Materials Investment Network)
Oxygenated water
Sometimes hydroponic plants develop root rot because the water does not contain enough oxygen and the roots cannot breathe. You can make your own oxygenated water to raise the oxygen content of the water.
(Author: Han Tianyun Source: Sina Blog)
How to use
1. Find sphagnum moss, algae and similar plants that can live in water, crush them and filter out the green liquid.
2. Put the liquid in a basin of water that has been left in the sun; after about 3 days, green algae will grow.
(Author: Feng Diao Source: Sina Blog)
3. Put the basin in the sun; photosynthesis by the sphagnum moss will increase the oxygen in the water.
4. Generally speaking, rainwater and river water have a higher oxygen content, so oxygenated water can be used directly without dilution.
(Author: Sang Shengle Source: Sina Blog)
Charcoal
Charcoal prevents decay in water and also purifies water quality. Therefore, adding charcoal to a hydroponic bottle can effectively prevent root rot and stem rot.
(Source: Made-in-China.com)
How to use
1. Break the charcoal into small pieces about the size of a fingernail; be careful not to crush them into powder.
2. Drop 7 or 8 small pieces of charcoal into the hydroponic bottle, and replace them with new charcoal each time you change the water.
(Author: lan-ying6858 Source: Hydroponics Forum)
Ferrous sulfate
Ferrous sulfate, also called green vitriol or black vitriol by some people, can supply iron to plants, adjust the pH of the growing medium, and prevent yellowing of leaves caused by iron deficiency.
(Source: Gupu Environmental Protection Equipment Network)
How to use
1. Dilute ferrous sulfate with water at a ratio of 1:1000.
2. Add 7 or 8 drops to a hydroponic bottle at a time, about once every half a month.
(Author: Han Tianyun Source: Sina Blog)
Small pills
Many small pills have remarkable effects. For example, vitamin B12 and aspirin can promote rooting; vitamin C can adjust the pH of the water and supplement nutrients for plants; vitamin B2 can prevent mosquitoes and insects from breeding in hydroponic bottles...
(Source: Jin Dong Fang)
How to use
1. Crush the pills with a small spoon and dilute them with water at a ratio of 1:1000.
2. Shake the solution evenly and add about a dozen drops to the hydroponic bottle, about once a month.
(Author: Ai Chao i Source: Hydroponics Forum)
Nutrient solution
Hydroponic plants often fail to grow because the water is "too clean", leading to a lack of nutrients, so a little nutrient solution should be added to the water regularly to supplement the plants' nutrition.
(Source: HC360)
How to use
1. Dilute the purchased nutrient solution with water at a ratio of 1:1000 and add 7 or 8 drops to the hydroponic bottle.
2. You can also use water-soluble fertilizers such as liquid fertilizer, compound fertilizer or monopotassium phosphate, mixed with water at a ratio of 1:1000.
3. Nutrient solution should not be added every day; once a month is more suitable.
(Author: iq3170 Source: Hydroponics Forum)
Rusty iron nails
The rust on a rusty iron nail slowly releases iron ions into the water, supplementing iron for hydroponic plants and preventing yellow leaves; it is especially effective for lucky bamboo.
(Author: Zhang Lizhong Source: Sina Blog)
How to use
1. Just drop the iron nail straight into the hydroponic bottle.
2. Note that it must be a rusty iron nail; a perfectly good iron nail hardly oxidizes in water and has almost no effect.
(Author: Youyou Xiaomaodou Source: Hydroponics Forum)
Rooting powder
Plants such as lucky bamboo often develop yellow leaves soon after being brought home, mainly because they have not yet rooted and the nutrient supply cannot keep up. Therefore, before the plants root, you can add some rooting powder to the hydroponic bottle to promote rooting.
(Source: China Enterprise Directory)
How to use
1. Dilute the rooting powder with water at a ratio of 1:500.
2. Shake the solution evenly and add about a dozen drops to the hydroponic bottle.
(Author: hzqsp Source: Hydroponics Forum)
Little things that can be found everywhere in daily life
are all very useful for growing flowers!