Causes of and Solutions for Root Rot in Spider Plants

Potted flowers and trees are often prone to root rot due to uncontrolled watering, improper fertilizing, poor management and other reasons, destroying flowers and trees carefully cultivated for several years or even decades in an instant, which is truly regrettable. If an accurate diagnosis can be made in the early and middle stages of root rot in the plant, and effective measures are taken, the death of some flowers and trees can hopefully be avoided. Below, taking spider plant root rot as an example, we analyze the causes of root rot and how to deal with it.

Spider plant root rot is mainly caused by root injury, waterlogging, or excessive fertilizing. When repotting or dividing the plant, be sure to injure the roots as little as possible, and let it dry in the air for a day before potting it up, and control the amount of water, watering only when the soil is dry, so as to avoid root rot. Long-term watering plus soil that is not breathable can also cause this symptom.

For spider plants, it is best to fertilize with thin fertilizer frequently; never apply concentrated fertilizer or uncomposted raw fertilizer, otherwise the roots are very easily burned. Now you can take the plant out of the pot, trim off the rotten roots, place it in a cool place to dry in the air for 2-3 days, and then plant it in new soil; the new soil just needs to be loose and breathable, fertile and well-draining.

How to deal with spider plant root rot:

First of all, dig the spider plant out, cut off the rotten roots, and disinfect with potassium permanganate solution; if there is no potassium permanganate, carbendazim will also do; if you have nothing on hand, just clean the rotten roots thoroughly, then put it in a ventilated place to dry, but do not expose it to the sun, drying in a cool place is fine, then replant it in new soil.

Speaking of replanting, because spider plants are very easy plants to grow, if you have pure sand on hand, you can first grow it in pure sand; according to my tests, spider plants grown in pure sand root quickly.

Tips for handling the following situations:

1. If the spider plant only has slight root rot, it is very likely due to overwatering and soil that is too moist. At this time it needs careful care to let it slowly recover. You should reduce the amount of water each day, watering once in the morning and once in the evening, then gradually reduce it to watering once a day or once every two days. In this way the spider plant's soil will not be too moist, and the root rot will slowly improve.

2. When there are signs of root rot in the spider plant, promptly move it outside to get some sun, but be careful not to expose it to strong sun for long periods. Just letting it see the sun and get enough light is fine; about two hours outdoors each day, and the slight root rot symptoms of the spider plant will generally slowly improve.

3. After appropriate watering and sun exposure, if the spider plant's root rot symptoms do not ease, you can appropriately use some plant nutrient solution. Be sure to add it strictly according to the instructions on the bottle, and do not use too much, so as to avoid the opposite effect. It is best to dilute it with clean water in proportion and spray it on the leaves, as this is more conducive to the plant absorbing nutrients than adding it to the soil.

4. Usually, a spider plant does not have only one root; if only a few of the spider plant's roots have root rot, you can separate the roots that have not rotted from the rotten ones, repot them in a new pot, and ensure the spider plant continues to grow; the rotten root parts can be thrown away.

5. If the spider plant's root rot is very serious, you must cut off the rotten roots. Use a sterilized knife to cut off the rotten roots and throw them away, apply rooting agent to the remaining part, then change to new soil, and in this way the spider plant will slowly grow new fleshy roots and thrive again.

6. If the spider plant's roots are completely rotten and the hope of regeneration is slim, then transplant and cultivate it in time. You can use the small plantlets on the spider plant's runners for transplanting; in the growing season, cut off the small plantlets on the runners, plant them in potting soil or water, and after the small plantlets grow roots, transplant them into a pot. In this way you can successfully cultivate a new spider plant.

Personally, I think keeping spider plants indoors is not as easy as keeping pothos; the most common problem with spider plants is root rot. Spider plant root rot is mainly caused by root injury, waterlogging, or excessive fertilizing. So, how can spider plant root rot be avoided?

When repotting or dividing the plant, be sure to injure the roots as little as possible, and let it dry in the air for a day before potting it up, and control the amount of water, watering only when the soil is dry, so as to avoid root rot. Long-term watering plus soil that is not breathable can also cause this symptom. For spider plants, it is best to fertilize with thin fertilizer frequently; never apply concentrated fertilizer or uncomposted raw fertilizer, otherwise the roots are very easily burned.