root rot on Philodendron Red Congo
Quick answer
If your Philodendron Red Congo has root rot, the most likely cause is: Root rot in Philodendron 'Red Congo' is overwhelmingly a drainage problem. Jack Kramer's 1974 philodendron monograph flags collapse of the plant from root rot caused by poor drainage as a primary failure mode, and warns that waterlogged soil will ruin philodendrons; the cultivar's dense, self-heading rosette of large leaves makes an already slow-drying rootball even more prone to saturation in a glazed or non-draining container.
Start here:
- 1. Repot into a container with drainage: drill quarter-inch drainage holes in the bottom of the pot if it has none, since most glazed pots do not have drainage holes and waterlogged soil can ruin philodendrons.
- 2. Use a porous, chunky aroid mix and repot every year for plants under sixteen inches, or every second or third year for larger specimens, because plants have drained nutrients from the soil and a compacted mix holds too much water against the roots.
Why Philodendron Red Congo gets root rot
philodendron red congo
Root rot in Philodendron 'Red Congo' is overwhelmingly a drainage problem. Jack Kramer's 1974 philodendron monograph flags collapse of the plant from root rot caused by poor drainage as a primary failure mode, and warns that waterlogged soil will ruin philodendrons; the cultivar's dense, self-heading rosette of large leaves makes an already slow-drying rootball even more prone to saturation in a glazed or non-draining container.
How to reverse root rot on Philodendron Red Congo
- 1
Repot into a container with drainage: drill quarter-inch drainage holes in the bottom of the pot if it has none, since most glazed pots do not have drainage holes and waterlogged soil can ruin philodendrons.
- 2
Use a porous, chunky aroid mix and repot every year for plants under sixteen inches, or every second or third year for larger specimens, because plants have drained nutrients from the soil and a compacted mix holds too much water against the roots.
- 3
After repotting, water only when the top of the mix is dry, empty any standing water from the saucer, and keep the plant in good light so it actually uses the moisture you give it rather than sitting in a dark, wet rootball.
Keep root rot off this Philodendron Red Congo
Always grow Philodendron 'Red Congo' in a pot with drainage holes, use a loose well-aerated potting medium rather than dense garden soil, and let the top of the mix dry between waterings so the roots never sit in saturated, oxygen-poor soil.