What to Do When Alocasia (Dumb Cane) Roots Rot? Find the Cause and Treat It Accordingly

Alocasia root rot is a fairly common occurrence when growing Alocasia (dumb cane). So why does Alocasia so easily develop root rot? How should Alocasia root rot be handled? Finding the cause and applying the right remedy is the key to dealing with Alocasia root rot.

There are two main causes of Alocasia root rot, and the primary one is overwatering. Alocasia likes water, but it must not be overwatered, and in particular you must make sure there is no standing water in the pot. In fact, this applies not only to Alocasia but to many flowers and plants: water only when the soil has dried out. The second cause is pests and diseases. If the situation is not too serious, just sprinkle some essential balm around the flower pot; if it is serious, you need to disinfect and change the soil. So what should you do after Alocasia roots rot?

1. Insert a small wooden stick into the soil beside the Alocasia root system, peel the soil away from the roots little by little, and take out the rotted roots intact.

2. Cut off the rotted parts.

3. Cut off all the branches and leaves.

4. Rinse clean in clear water, then soak in a carbendazim or potassium permanganate solution for about 5 minutes, rinse clean again with clear water, and leave to dry in a ventilated place for a full day and night.

5. Disinfect the flower pot (soak in potassium permanganate solution) and disinfect the new soil (simply dry it thoroughly in the sun). The new soil must have good air permeability; it is best to choose soil containing more sand.

6. If the new soil is too dry, water it lightly with a little rice-washing water. From then on, rather err on the side of too little water than too much, and stick to not watering until the soil is dry. Do not bury the roots too deep.

7. If the root rot is not too serious, you do not have to follow the steps above. If the rotted part is above the pot soil, you can dig out the rotted part, apply agricultural streptomycin to the wound, and water the roots with a diluted carbendazim solution; this should also cure the root rot.

After Alocasia roots rot, no matter what the cause, one important point is to disinfect, to prevent the same situation from happening again. But the most crucial thing is scientific growing, for example, do not water too much just to pursue the "dripping water" effect.