root rot on Rebutia
Quick answer
If your Rebutia has root rot, the most likely cause is: In established Rebutia clumps the most common reason an old plant loses color and vigor is root rot, which Barbara Pleasant attributes directly to the way older Rebutia plants are kept: once a clump has been in the same compost for several seasons the root system sits in cool, damp soil through the winter rest the genus requires for spring blooming, and that dampness is what tips an old plant into rot.
Start here:
- 1. From spring through fall allow the soil to become nearly dry between waterings but still water the plant regularly, then cut back hard in winter to a light watering only every 7 to 10 days so the rootball actually dries between drinks.
- 2. Compost any old Rebutia plant that has lost color and vigor rather than trying to nurse it back, because the decline is often due to root rot in the rootball and surface-watering changes cannot reverse what is already happening underground.
Why Rebutia gets root rot
Rebutia
In established Rebutia clumps the most common reason an old plant loses color and vigor is root rot, which Barbara Pleasant attributes directly to the way older Rebutia plants are kept: once a clump has been in the same compost for several seasons the root system sits in cool, damp soil through the winter rest the genus requires for spring blooming, and that dampness is what tips an old plant into rot.
How to reverse root rot on Rebutia
- 1
From spring through fall allow the soil to become nearly dry between waterings but still water the plant regularly, then cut back hard in winter to a light watering only every 7 to 10 days so the rootball actually dries between drinks.
- 2
Compost any old Rebutia plant that has lost color and vigor rather than trying to nurse it back, because the decline is often due to root rot in the rootball and surface-watering changes cannot reverse what is already happening underground.
Keep root rot off this Rebutia
Give Rebutia a cool, dry 3-month-long winter rest with only a light watering every 7 to 10 days, in moderate winter light and out of cold drafts, so the root system stays healthy and the plant sets heavy spring blooms instead of declining into rot.