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violin leafage figs ( Ficus lyrata ) are one of the most popular species of fig , but there ’s a bit of a drawback to them , namely that they can be a number finicky indoors . Once you get the hang of this plant ’s temperament , they ’re not that difficult to manage for .
Yet one of the most fear disease in plant precaution can affect afiddle folio tree , specially those grown in pots . Fiddle foliage Ficus carica base rot disease can well stamp out your plant if not addressed quickly .
What Is Fiddle Leaf Fig Root Rot, And How To Control It
Root rot is a disease that can be due to several strains of both bacterium and fungus .
This disease destroys the beginning of septic plants , killing them , but thankfully , you may cure the plant if it ’s caught soon enough .
Causes Of Root Rot
The exclusive most common case of root guff is overwatering . When you overwater a works , it can encourage mold growth in the filth which then attacks the root system .
Placing a plant in a pot or used ground can also increase the risk . Another coarse cause is using cheap potting grunge .
Only grease one’s palms potting mixture from reputable brands ( Miracle - Gro is one of the best for those on a budget ) .
The reason many brands are chintzy is that they skip the sterilisation footstep .
This means there could be contamination such as pest ’ egg , fungal spores , or harmful bacterium already present in the territory when you purchase it .
This can easy equalize to a jeopardy of root rot or incurable viral infections such as the mosaic computer virus .
Symptoms Of Root Rot
queerly enough , the signs of root rot resemble underwatering , which often leads unsuspecting flora owner to overwater the plant even more .
In reality , the damaged solution can not pucker piss and nutrients from the soil , induce the plant to starve slowly .
One of the first signs you might point out is the presence of teetotal , brown plot of land forming on the leaves .
It ’s more common for this speckle to begin at the groundwork or margin of a leaf and ferment its way inwards , but some strains of root rot will result in chocolate-brown spying on the leaf ’s interior open that mould its agency outwards .
You may also notice various signs of underwatering despite the soil being damp or even sloughy .
in conclusion , if you notice cottony fungal growth on the soil surface or a frowsty or crappy smell coming from the soil , your plant likely has root buncombe .
Because the visible symptoms resemble underwatering , malnourishment , and other common fear issue , review how you ’ve been care for the plant and eliminate other possibleness .
you’re able to do this by compare the symptom and your forethought methods to the potential problems that might be causing those symptom .
If you ’re diffident or surmise it ’s source rot , you ’ll need to take step forthwith .
Uprooting A Fiddle Leaf Fig
violin leafage figs ( like most plants ) do n’t particularly delight being dug up , and it ’s unremarkably good to only do so when shift the grease or kick upstairs the muckle size .
However , radical rot is serious , so your plant life will give thanks you for this drastic step later .
For outdoor specimens , you ’ll need to dig around the base of the plant cautiously . A adept rule of thumb is to prefer a wheel spoke equal to the required spacing for your fig .
Alternatively , some people will guess the radius found on how far the leaf bed covering reaches .
Either way , dig straight down until you ’ve go around the flora , then gently use your shovel or fork to lever the industrial plant out of the ground .
Potted industrial plant are far easier , and you could plainly tiptoe the plant over onto its side ( having a tarpaulin or blanket under the works will make cleanup easier ) .
Give the bottom of the pot a undecomposed whack or two to knock the territory loose , and gently slue the plant from its sens .
Diagnosing Root Rot
Once the plant is out of its pot , gently remove the surplus soil by helping hand or with water and take a near look at the roots .
Healthy roots are milklike or light Robert Brown , but any time you see dark chocolate-brown to black roots on a plant , this is a sign of rot .
rootage rot will make these blackened roots hokey to the touch and may have a nasty odor .
When you see these augury , there ’s no doubt your fig has radical rot , and you ’ll need to perform a little surgery to heal it .
While it ’s possible to salvage the container and soil through sterilization , we strongly advocate you discard both .
This can be more difficult for garden stain , which must be thoroughly address before planting anything in that space again .
Treating The Root Rot
To treat root buncombe , you ’re going to demand a few simple putz :
mildly bring your means through the entire root system , remove every visibly septic root .
Be sure to fix your shears between each swing and dispose of the infected roots safely ( also , wash your hands exhaustively with a good antibacterial soap afterward so you wo n’t circumstantially contaminate your other plant ) .
A industrial plant will broadly speaking recover if only ⅓ of its theme are lose , but it can still recover with ⅔ of its roots take away if you give them plenty of TLC afterward .
You will also want to remove the damaged leaves , so the plant life will need to distribute resource to fewer parts , although you only want to off up to 30 % percent of the foliage .
Once you ’ve remove the infected parts , dip the antecedent in the bleach solution for 20 minute of arc or spray them good with a peroxide solution – DO NOT do both !
If you plow with the whitener solution , set aside the plant to air travel dry for 2 to 3 mean solar day before repotting .
If you use the hydrogen peroxide solution , you’re able to repot forthwith , and it will in reality benefit the plant and soil , although this method may not be as effective against some strain of solution rot as bleaching agent .
Replanting And Aftercare
Using a firebrand new container and fresh pot soil ( or pick a different slur outside ) , you’re able to repot your violin foliage fig the same way you would when doing a normal repot or transplant .
Be sure to tot an congeries such as perlite or vermiculite to insure the soil is well - draining .
Also , remember to be extra gentle with the roots , which will be quite fragile for a slight while .
Avoid tot up any fertilizer for a month and use right tearing technique .
As long as the plant gets the right amount of Sunday and other essentials , it will begin to bounce back after a few weeks with new growth .
Preventing Root Rot In Fiddle Leaf Figs
We wo n’t get into the details of the soak - and - dry method here , but this is the best potential method for water both indoor and out-of-door plants .
NEVER irrigate a plant using a calendar , as this is the leading causal agency of water - related plant life problem .
For fiddle leaf figs , the fourth dimension to water is when the top 1″ to 2 ” inches of grunge has dry out .
Between right watering and using only character ( or homemade ) potting premix , you should have minimal risk of developing root rot in the future .
