ZZ plant root rot symptoms are yellowing leaves, stunted growth, and sudden death. The ZZ plant has many diseases and problems that can cause the roots to die or become too crowded with soil. If you detect ZZ plant root rot in time, you can save your plants. ZZ plant is a resistant plant that is very easy to keep, but we should be careful of diseases that affect the plant.
ZZ plant root rot lead to many symptoms in the plant, and if you detect ZZ plant root rot in proper time, you can treat it easily. As usual, it is better first to read all the article about keeping conditions and ZZ plant care (To care Raven ZZ plant, make sure to read the article). In the following, we will examine the important causes of ZZ plant root rot. Stay with us until the end of this article.
We have reviewed Common ZZ Plant Problems in a separate article, which I suggest you read.
Causes of ZZ plant root rot
In general, root rot of ZZ plants or other plants is caused by overwatering. overwatering has many consequences, such as fungal disease in the plant. In the following, we will explain all the causes of ZZ plant root rot. We will thoroughly explain the treatment of each cause.
Fungal diseases are the leading cause of ZZ plant rot
Fusarium and Rhizoctonia fungi attack the root of the ZZ plant when the substrate and environment are suitable and cause root rot of ZZ plant. These fungi are among plant pathogenic fungi and feed on their host plant roots. This created process causes root rot of the ZZ plant to occur. When the root of the ZZ plant rots, a series of symptoms appear in the whole plant because, under these conditions, the root has rotted and cannot do its job correctly. Root rot in the ZZ plant causes the root not to be able to carry out the transfer of materials generally and adequately, causing the plant to become weak and yellow.
These pathogenic fungi grow when moisture and temperature are available for reproduction and cause root rot in the ZZ plant. Now, the more conditions you provide for these fungi, the more the root rot of the ZZ plant shows itself in the plant. Creating or maintaining the plant in these conditions can be one of the causes of root rot of the ZZ plant.
overwatering
overwatering causes root rot of the ZZ plant. When you give your plant a lot of water, you create environmental conditions for the reproduction and creation of pathogenic fungi. When the conditions are met, the fungi attack the root and eventually cause the root rot of the plant. Always check the soil of the plant before watering. It would help if you watered when the plant soil was dry. watering should be done 1-2 times a week. It is better to use the suitable water and the right time for watering.
Improper pot drainage
When choosing a plant pot, you must pay attention to its drainage and size in addition to its beauty. Improper drainage causes excess water that remains in the pot and does not come out. In this condition, the plant will easily suffer root rot, and you may lose the plant. Unsuitable soil
Unsuitable soil
The compounds you use for your pot and plant soil are very important. Many soils lack pores. Because they don’t pass water through themselves easily, they make the plant suffer. For example, clay soil does not allow water to pass through the soil particles. So, you should be careful in choosing the soil for the plant to prevent root rot of the ZZ plant. In the following article, we will introduce the suitable soil for the ZZ plant.
Symptoms of ZZ plant root rot
In the following, we will examine some of the signs that tell you that your plant has suffered from root rot
Root rot symptoms of ZZ plant in leaves
Root rot symptoms of the ZZ plant can appear in different parts of the plant. The rotting of the root of the ZZ plant shows itself in the plant leaf and stem and the root itself. In general, a plant with root rot will not look fresh. The leaves of the ZZ plant turn yellow when the root rot of the ZZ plant has occurred in the plant. Yellowing of leaves occurs mostly in the lower part of the plant. If we do not create good conditions for the plant, this yellowing process will continue, and the whole plant will turn yellow little.
If your other plants have yellowing leaves, be sure to read the article houseplant leaves turning yellow
Root rot symptoms of ZZ plant in the stem
When the stem of your plant loses its original state and falls, you should suspect the root rot of the ZZ plant. Be sure to check the stem of the plant because the softening of the stem can also be a sign of decay. Remember that you cannot doubt the root rot of the ZZ plant by seeing one symptom, and you must keep a set of conditions and symptoms in mind and diagnose the plant disease according to that.
The bad smell of soil and plant roots
Since ZZ plant root rot is caused by a fungal agent, the foul smell of the soil can be one of the symptoms of ZZ plant root rot. Sometimes, this smell can be felt when you take the plant out of the pot.
slow growth of ZZ plant
This plant is generally slow growing, but when the growth rate reaches its lowest level, root rot of the ZZ plant should be suspected. Of course, this lack of growth is generally associated with other symptoms, such as yellowing and falling of the stem.
The root of the plant: after seeing all the symptoms in the plant’s appearance, you should check the root of the plant to ensure that the root of the ZZ plant is rotting. The rotten root becomes slimy and loses its original strength. The color of the infected root also changes from normal to brown. Another sign is the creation of a bad smell in the plant’s roots. A plant whose roots have rotted easily comes out of the soil and lacks strong roots.
The method of examining the root of the plant
In the first step, you must remove the plant from the pot. For this, be sure not to damage the roots of the plant. To make it easier, you can tap the sides of the pot to remove the plant. After removing its root, examine it to identify the soft or decayed area. After identifying the root rot of the zz plant, you should start treating the plant. The rest of this article will also explain the treatment methods.
Ways to treat ZZ plant root rot
The first and most important step is correct and timely plant watering. To make it easier, you can use a hygrometer sensor so that you don’t have problems watering your plants.
It would be best if you chose the right flower pot for your plant with proper drainage and size.
To treat zz plant root rot, after removing the plant from the pot, you must remove the contaminated parts from the plant with a clean tool. Consider a suitable pot for the plant. You must remember that the soil must be suitable; otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain. Transfer the plant to a new pot. Use the proper fungicide with the first irrigation to eliminate the fungal disease.
What is the best soil for ZZ plant?
As we said, the soil is an important factor in preventing root rot of the zz plant. This plant needs soil with high drainage that allows water to pass through it well. Cactus soil or the combination of leaf soil + cocopeat and perlite can be a good choice for the zz plant. To increase drainage, you can use sand in the first part (bottom of the pot). The lighter the plant’s soil, the less root rot occurs. Using prepared soil can also be a good option for beginners to minimize damage to the plant.
Important points:
If you want to use your old flowerpot, you must disinfect it so that pathogens do not attack the plant. If you don’t have proper drainage, you can also make a hole in the bottom of your flower pot so that excess water can drain out. It is better to get new and suitable soil for the plant.
If the root of the plant is so damaged that you cannot revive it, it is better to revive it by taking cuttings. You can also refer to the zz plant reproduction article to learn about reproduction methods. You can also use humic acid or amino acid for better plant rooting.
If your zz plant has other problems, the zz plant disease article can be helpful.
After treating the root rot of the zz plant, you must take important measures so that the plant does not return to its previous state. These actions include correct and timely irrigation – keeping the plant in favourable environmental conditions – using fungicides – not using fertilizers as much as possible (After correcting the roots and transferring the plant to a new pot, it is better not to use fertilizer and only to give rooting hormones to the plant) – not to create tension or stress in the plant.
In a separate article, we have talked about fertilizing ZZ plants, which you must read in order to have a healthy plant.
Last word:
Root rot of the zz plant occurs under certain conditions and disappears under certain conditions as well. Prevent zz plant root rot by observing the conditions of plant keeping, and if zz plant root rot happens, remove it with correct and timely methods. If you have any experience or particular suggestions regarding the root rot of the zz plant, make sure to treat it with us. Also, make sure to read the articles on zz plant leaves curling and zz plant toxic.