root rot on Pachyphytum
Quick answer
If your Pachyphytum has root rot, the most likely cause is: When a Pachyphytum oviferum is left in the same pot for too long, the roots run out of space and circle the pot, drainage and air circulation in the soil collapse, and fungal root rot takes hold; Furuya flags this sequence as the principal rot risk for the Hoshibijin cultivar during the warm months.
Start here:
- 1. Transplant the plant before the roots circle the pot: pull it up, massage the old soil free, cut away any darkened and rotten roots, and repot into a fresh fast-draining mix with a gravel layer at the base.
- 2. Keep the repotted plant in partial shade during midsummer and let the surface dry between waterings so the soil never stays soggy around the recovering root zone.
Why Pachyphytum gets root rot
Pachyphytum
When a Pachyphytum oviferum is left in the same pot for too long, the roots run out of space and circle the pot, drainage and air circulation in the soil collapse, and fungal root rot takes hold; Furuya flags this sequence as the principal rot risk for the Hoshibijin cultivar during the warm months.
How to reverse root rot on Pachyphytum
- 1
Transplant the plant before the roots circle the pot: pull it up, massage the old soil free, cut away any darkened and rotten roots, and repot into a fresh fast-draining mix with a gravel layer at the base.
- 2
Keep the repotted plant in partial shade during midsummer and let the surface dry between waterings so the soil never stays soggy around the recovering root zone.
Keep root rot off this Pachyphytum
Refresh the soil mix every spring, keep Pachyphytum outdoors in bright light during the spring and fall growing season so the roots stay active, and bring the plant inside before nights drop below freezing because cold-damaged roots rot quickly.