root rot on Aluminum Plant
Quick answer
If your Aluminum Plant has root rot, the most likely cause is: When the potting mix of Pilea cadierei is kept sodden, water displaces the air in the soil and the fine pilea roots suffocate, soften, and rot, after which the plant droops, weakens, and loses its grip on the soil. Root rot in pileas is most often triggered by watering too freely while the mix is already damp or by leaving the pot standing in accumulated water.
Start here:
- 1. Unpot the aluminum plant, tease away any brown lifeless roots from the central root mass, and pull gently on the outer skin of suspect roots; if the skin slips off and leaves the core behind, that root is rotted and should be removed before repotting into a fresh, fast-draining mix.
- 2. After repotting, water only when the top half of the potting mixture has dried out, and never let the aluminum plant pot stand in a saucer of accumulated water; the soil should be damp throughout but never sodden.
Why Aluminum Plant gets root rot
Pilea cadierei
When the potting mix of Pilea cadierei is kept sodden, water displaces the air in the soil and the fine pilea roots suffocate, soften, and rot, after which the plant droops, weakens, and loses its grip on the soil. Root rot in pileas is most often triggered by watering too freely while the mix is already damp or by leaving the pot standing in accumulated water.
How to reverse root rot on Aluminum Plant
- 1
Unpot the aluminum plant, tease away any brown lifeless roots from the central root mass, and pull gently on the outer skin of suspect roots; if the skin slips off and leaves the core behind, that root is rotted and should be removed before repotting into a fresh, fast-draining mix.
- 2
After repotting, water only when the top half of the potting mixture has dried out, and never let the aluminum plant pot stand in a saucer of accumulated water; the soil should be damp throughout but never sodden.
Keep root rot off this Aluminum Plant
Water Pilea cadierei cautiously so the potting mixture is damp throughout but never sodden, allowing the top half to dry between waterings, and never leave the pot standing in water because aluminum plant roots will deteriorate when air is driven out of the soil.