Root Rot

Root rot is disease caused by several species of a soil-living fungi that infect plant roots causing plants to wilt and die. On plants lower leaves droop, turn yellow then brown and can tend to fall off. Upper leaves wilt, and sometimes the complete plant dies. Oozing sap (gummosis) is another common symptom.

When transplanting, the roots of plants are damaged and the roots are susceptible to infection at the wound sites. Treatment of roots and soil surrounding them during transplanting will reduce the risk of root rot infections.

• Control weeds as they can be a reservoir of infection.
• Remove and burn dead infected plants.
• Spray with PLANThealth Buxus Blight Buster or Fungus Control every 10-14 days. Spray the foliage as well as the soil around plants to be protected. It will kill root root disease fungi in soil and be drawn into plant to protect further from disease..

Houseplants

• Use the Gro-Sure Houseplant Watering Indicator to ensure you water when the plant needs it don't when the plant doesn't.
• Plant your houseplants and re-pot them using Gro-Sure Houseplant Potting Mix with Seramis®.
• See Orchid Root and Crown Rot.

• Phytophthora and Pythium fungi are pathogenic species that can cause die back in many different plants and are pests of major economic importance. It was one of this group of fungi that caused the great potato famine in Ireland. It is also a Phytopthora that is causing Kauri dieback and damaging and killing many of the iconic trees of the North Island of New Zealand.