root rot on White Wizard
Quick answer
If your White Wizard has root rot, the most likely cause is: White Wizard's white sectors carry almost no chlorophyll, so the plant cannot bank enough energy to keep pushing new roots when the substrate stays wet and oxygen-starved; opportunistic fungi then turn the weakened root system brown and mushy, and the first visible signs above the soil are yellowing or wilting leaves on stems that should otherwise be turgid. A heavy, peat-only mix without perlite or bark, a pot without drainage holes, or watering on a calendar rather than by soil moisture are the three classic triggers in a philodendron.
Start here:
- 1. Unpot the plant, wash the rootball under tepid water, and cut away every brown, soft root with sterilised scissors back to firm white tissue before repotting.
- 2. Repot into a fresh, free-draining aroid mix of peat, perlite and orchid bark in a pot with drainage holes, and do not water again until the top 2 cm (1 in) of compost has dried.
Why White Wizard gets root rot
White Wizard
White Wizard's white sectors carry almost no chlorophyll, so the plant cannot bank enough energy to keep pushing new roots when the substrate stays wet and oxygen-starved; opportunistic fungi then turn the weakened root system brown and mushy, and the first visible signs above the soil are yellowing or wilting leaves on stems that should otherwise be turgid. A heavy, peat-only mix without perlite or bark, a pot without drainage holes, or watering on a calendar rather than by soil moisture are the three classic triggers in a philodendron.
How to reverse root rot on White Wizard
- 1
Unpot the plant, wash the rootball under tepid water, and cut away every brown, soft root with sterilised scissors back to firm white tissue before repotting.
- 2
Repot into a fresh, free-draining aroid mix of peat, perlite and orchid bark in a pot with drainage holes, and do not water again until the top 2 cm (1 in) of compost has dried.
- 3
If more than half the root mass is dead, root healthy 10 cm (4 in) stem cuttings as a backup while you restart the mother plant.
Keep root rot off this White Wizard
Use a chunky, free-draining aroid mix in a pot with drainage holes; water only when the top 2 cm (1 in) of soil is dry; never leave the pot sitting in water; and refresh the top 2 cm (1 in) of compost each spring so salts and compaction never choke the roots.