How to rescue a clivia with root rot? A few tips to bring it back to life

Clivia (Clivia miniata) is grown quite widely, so problems come up often too. Today I will share with you how to rescue a clivia with root rot.

Root rot in clivia is a disease caused by pathogens, and it generally occurs in high-temperature, high-humidity environments in summer, showing up as rotting of the roots below the leaf base. The main causes are:

1. High temperature, high humidity and poor ventilation, which make the plant's fleshy roots very prone to rotting.

2. Too much water: when the nutrient soil holds too much water and has poor aeration, the roots stay soaked in water for a long time, causing them to discolour and rot.

3. Too much fertiliser: if the fertiliser in the nutrient soil has not been fermented, it generates heat and burns the roots, causing rot. Improper fertilising during the growing season, or applying too much fertiliser, brings the fertiliser into contact with the roots, burning them and affecting their absorption capacity; the root tissue is damaged and rots. Be sure to apply light fertiliser frequently.

4. Root injury: when repotting or dividing the plant, the roots may be knocked, broken or rotted. Any rotted fleshy roots must be completely removed, then the wounds coated with charcoal or fine stove ash and left to dry, and only then should the plant be potted up in soil, to prevent the injured roots from directly touching pathogens in the nutrient soil and rotting.

5. Poor aeration: using porcelain pots, plastic pots and the like leads to poor air and water permeability in the potting soil, causing root rot.

6. Poor soil: soil-borne diseases attack the fleshy roots and cause them to decay.

The six points above are the common problems that cause root rot in clivia. Growers should take care to prevent root rot; in addition, pay attention to water and temperature in everyday care. In summer, avoid waterlogging and do not let water soak the roots for long periods. For fertilising, use well-fermented organic fertiliser, in the right amount and at the right frequency, applying light fertiliser frequently.

The way to rescue a plant with root rot is to tip the plant out of its pot, remove and cut off the rotted roots, then coat the wounds with charcoal powder or fine stove ash. You can also rinse the roots with potassium permanganate solution and then put them in the sun for about ten minutes to make use of ultraviolet light. If more than half the roots have rotted, trim and clean away the rotted roots, then place the plant in fine sand to encourage new roots. If only a few roots have rotted, you can replant it in nutrient soil that has been replaced or treated; hold back on watering for half a month, and it can recover in one to two months.

If all the fleshy roots have rotted, cut off all the rotted roots, wash the rhizome clean, coat it with charcoal powder or fine stove ash, and put it in a pot of fine sand to encourage rooting; after two to three months it can also grow new roots and leaves again.

In addition, using rotted leaf mould as the growing medium to rescue a clivia with root rot also works well. The specific method is: wash the fleshy roots twice with clean water, then pinch off the rotted roots, coat the wounds with cigarette ash, dry them in the shade for two hours, then plant into a pot of coniferous leaf mould, place it in half shade, water in good time and keep the potting soil moist; after half a month it will grow new roots.