Brown spots, brown shoots, rotting branches, stunted growth and a bad smell: if your plant shows any of these symptoms, it may be suffering from root rot.
Root rot is caused by diseases. However, there are so many diseases that it is difficult to find out which one is harming your plant. But if you do nothing, the plants will wither.
Multiple DNA scanning
With the help of multiple DNA scanning, you determine in a simple and reliable way which diseases are causing root rot. This technique helps to identify diseases so that appropriate measures can be taken, such as:
Good quality irrigation water (should have a low salt content, so do not use tap water. Use eg rainwater instead).
Administration of root stimulants (BAC Organic Grow).
Proper drainage and water removal.
Removal of affected plants.
What diseases cause root rot?
There are 5 diseases that often cause root rot:
Vrugu: this disease can damage plants up to the end of the stem. Plants are particularly exposed to this disease when cold water is used for irrigation or when temperatures drop significantly. In other words, be careful during cold days and nights.
Fusarium solani: this disease damages the roots before spreading to the stem end. It develops faster at temperatures between 20 and 30°C.
Rhizoctonia solani: plants affected by this type of disease turn yellow and eventually die. While the stem is surrounded by it, the plants can fall over. This disease thrives in low temperatures (15 to 18 or 20°C)
Thielaviopsis basicola: if your plant is affected by this type of disease, the roots will turn brown, surrounded by lesions and possibly brown leaf buds.
Pythium: this (secondary) disease affects only weak or young plants. It can be identified by loosening the bark in the vascular groups. It grows especially fast in humid environments and temperature of 20°C. With this in mind, optimizing the water balance can improve things significantly. Also, make sure that the temperature in the plant pots is not too high.
How to avoid root rot?
As a well-known saying goes: better safe than sorry. Many types of root rot can be prevented through proper drainage.
Therefore, it is important to test your soil and irrigation water. Make sure the water drains away easily.
In this way, diseases are more difficult to catch. Root rot can also be prevented by identifying mold growth at an early stage through multiplex DNA scanning.
