root rot on Cordyline
Quick answer
If your Cordyline has root rot, the most likely cause is: Cordyline dislikes having its roots sit in cold, saturated compost: when plants are left standing in water for long enough, the soil stays damp and the roots begin to rot, and overpotting into a container that is too large produces a pot of few roots surrounded by a smelly mass of goo that suffocates the remaining root system.
Start here:
- 1. Empty the plant's saucer 15 to 30 minutes after each watering so the root ball never sits in standing water, and shift up only one pot size at a time when repotting ti plant (Cordyline terminalis), which prefers to be potbound and resents disturbance.
- 2. If overpotting has already occurred, lift the plant, wash all of the soil from the roots, cut off the dead or damaged roots, and repot into a smaller container using a good-quality light potting soil that drains well.
Why Cordyline gets root rot
Cordyline
Cordyline dislikes having its roots sit in cold, saturated compost: when plants are left standing in water for long enough, the soil stays damp and the roots begin to rot, and overpotting into a container that is too large produces a pot of few roots surrounded by a smelly mass of goo that suffocates the remaining root system.
How to reverse root rot on Cordyline
- 1
Empty the plant's saucer 15 to 30 minutes after each watering so the root ball never sits in standing water, and shift up only one pot size at a time when repotting ti plant (Cordyline terminalis), which prefers to be potbound and resents disturbance.
- 2
If overpotting has already occurred, lift the plant, wash all of the soil from the roots, cut off the dead or damaged roots, and repot into a smaller container using a good-quality light potting soil that drains well.
Keep root rot off this Cordyline
Use any good potting soil that drains well, water only when the surface begins to dry so roots stay lightly moist rather than waterlogged, and repot ti plant only every two years in spring, keeping even tall specimens in relatively small pots.