Causes and Treatments of Succulent Rot: A Moment of Negligence Could Wipe Out Your Entire Collection

For those of you who grow succulents, when root rot appears it is usually because you have watered too much. Once you notice the stems and leaves of a succulent turning soft and mushy, it has rotted. When root rot appears, you need to take it out of its pot, then use a tool sterilized with alcohol (use knives with care) to cut away the rotted parts. If it is a fungal infection, spray with a broad-spectrum fungicide for control, and the cut surface must be completely dried before it can be replanted in soil.

Succulent Plants

Causes of Succulent Rot

The most common disease of succulents is rot, usually a fungal soft rot caused by improper watering or excessively high humidity in the growing environment.

Succulent Plants

Succulents originally grew in desert and other extremely arid environments, so you must never overwater them. Between two waterings, the soil should be allowed to dry out completely before the second watering. The second cause of rot is soil compaction and lack of aeration, so when planting you must choose a medium with good drainage.

Succulent Plants

In some cases, insects hiding on succulents, such as mealybugs, can also cause rot, especially root mealybugs. The wounds these pests create by sucking the plant's sap can lead to fungal infection.

Fungal Infection

Rotted Parts of Succulents and Treatment Methods

1. Crown rot: the inside of the plant's leaves rots, causing the plant to topple over. Treatment: use a sharp knife to cut away the rotted, infected part, then insert crushed wood shavings and flowers of sulfur into the cut surface; the cut surface should be completely dry.

Severe Rot

2. Stem rot: mainly presents as complete rotting of the stem, usually occurring at the base of the stem. Treatment: cut away the rotted part, and use what remains as a stem cutting. The cut surface must be completely dried before the cutting can be planted in soil.

Stem Cutting Propagation

3. Spotted rot of the stem: mainly an infection caused after feeding by pests such as aphids. Treatment: use a knife to cut away the rotted part and apply flowers of sulfur. Mix thiophanate-methyl with 75% carbendazim wettable powder, dilute, and spray the plant.

Carbendazim

4. Black spot disease: often occurs after infection by cotton aphids or root mealybugs. Treatment: use a sharp knife to cut away the rotted part, then spray with diluted Benlate (a broad-spectrum fungicide) and cover with flowers of sulfur.

Black Spot Disease

Special note: the knife used here must be sterilized before and after use to avoid cross-infection. Do not cut corners, or a moment of negligence could wipe out your entire succulent collection.