What's the strongest natural root rot treatment?
Written by
Olivia Mitchell
Reviewed by
Prof. Martin Thorne, Ph.D.The strongest of natural root rot treatments is a combination of some of these powerful products. I saved my monstera last season with a triple-hit technique: hydrogen peroxide kills pathogens and oxygenates roots, chamomile tea fights antifungal infections, a garlic solution keeps this reinfection at bay and Bacillus thuringiensis gets that pesky fungus gnat.
Root Soak Preparation
- Mix 1 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide with 3 cups water
- Add 2 chamomile tea bags during preparation
- Soak roots for 20-30 minutes before repotting
- Pat roots dry before next application
Follow-Up Applications
- Apply cinnamon powder to cut root surfaces weekly
- Spray garlic solution on soil biweekly
- Water with Bacillus thuringiensis monthly
- Repeat cycle for 8 weeks during recovery
Garlic Solution This natural fungicide protects plants from spores and molds and is safe enough to eat! To make: Blend three cloves of garlic in a quart of water and steep overnight (do not use a metal blender!) Strain before spraying. Spray soil and base of stems. I lost no orchids to fungus with monthly garlic applications!
And if you are really serious about saving your Pythium-infected ficus plant, combine treatments for a one-two punch. You'll want to start with the hydrogen peroxide soak, and follow up with the cinnamon on the cut surfaces. After that, spray it with garlic. Finally, end with a soil drench of Bacillus thuringiensis. It killed that Pythium in a few weeks in my fiddle leaf fig.
Oversee the reaction of the plants when under treatment. Fresh white roots will usually appear within fourteen days, and the leaves will gradually recover their normal degree of firmness. Should improvement not then be distinguished, resort to our next and stronger remedy. Take insurance or trial cuttings before treatment. It is better to prevent disease than remedy it.
Read the full article: How to Treat Root Rot: Save Your Plants Now
