Monstera Root Rot Signs, Causes and Treatment

This article is all about Monstera Root Rot Signs, Causes, and Treatment. The uniquely shaped spade-like leaves of this plant are one of its best features. If you are feeling that your plant is about to die, and you are not able to identify the problem. Then you may have a serious problem growing under the soil, away from your eyes which is eventually damaging the roots of the plant.

Key takeaways:

• Monstera plants are beautiful and can easily enhance the beauty of every corner that they are placed.
• For treating the root rot you need to change the pot of the plant.
• Some of the monstera root rot signs are a Foul Smell Coming From The Roots, Spots on leaves, Mushy or Brown Looking Roots, etc.

There is no doubt that this is one of the most beautiful indoor plants, but it requires a lot of care to grow this plant, and still, you may have some problems that you need to take care of.

Most Common Reason For Rotting Of The Monstera Roots

The most common reason for the rooting of the roots is overwatering. Overwatering is the most common and generally the widely known reason for this problem. So, what do you mean by overwatering?

Overwatering is the problem where you water your plant excessively without even knowing it. The excessive water makes the soil damp and the plant is unable to breathe through the roots properly. When roots do not get proper air circulation they eventually start dying which can result in the death of your plant too.

You can easily treat the root rot in a monstera plant, by changing the pot of the plant. Also, you can aerate the soil, improve the drainage or change the soil. After all these, you need to maintain a proper watering schedule to prevent the rotting of the roots.

If you are growing a new monstera plant you should keep in mind to use proper fungicides, and the pot you are using must have a proper drainage system.

For more such plant related-articles, you may also read, How to Identify and Get Rid of Thrips on Monstera?

Also, root rotting can occur if the temperature drops too low, or your plant is not receiving enough sunlight. These factors can also affect the growth of the plant and result in the rotting of the roots. Even if you over-fertilize your plant the end reward you will receive is rotted roots.

Monstera Root Rot Signs, Causes, and Treatment

Identifying root rot is not an easy process but there are some indications that you can use, and easily identify that your plant is getting damaged.

Foul Smell Coming From The Roots:

You can check for the foul smell coming from the roots. If you can detect the smell at an early period you can easily treat your plant. But if you are unable to detect this then the infection may spread to leaves and stem, which can damage your plant completely.

Spots on leaves:

You can also identify the rotting of the roots from the black spots appearing on the leaves. These black spots are often surrounded by a yellow hue which can be identified easily. This happens because of the bacteria and pathogens that are damaging your monster plant.

Mushy or Brown-Looking Roots:

If your plant is dying and leaves have been curling out, you may need to dig deep inside the pot. Inside the pot, if there are brown or mushy roots you may have identified the problem and now you know the roots are rotting so you can cure that.

Stages Of Root Rot In Monstera Plant

We classify the root rotting process into three stages:

The Primary Stage: The primary stage we already discussed includes some basic indications that you can observe to identify the root rotting in your plant. If there is slight discoloration in the leaves, leaves are getting curled occasionally, or your plant is growing a little slow then the roots of your monstera plants will start to rot.

The Secondary Stage: The Secondary stage is also curable but you must identify it in the first stage only. In the second stage, you get some indications like random black spots appearing on the leaves, or a foul smell being emitted by the roots. These are just some indications that the roots of your monstera plants have started to rot and you need to take care of them.

The Final Stage: The final stage is also considered the nonrepairable stage of the root rotting process. In the final stage, you get indications like leaves getting covered with broken or completely black spots. If the infection has spread in the upper part of the plant then you may observe that stems and leaves have become dull and limp.

Treatment For Root Rotting In The Monstera Plant:

Several treatments are available to prevent the root rotting of the plant, we are going to discuss some of the most commonly available methods that you can use. These methods are quite easy and can be used by everyone:

Rinse the roots:

Take your monstera plant out of the plant. You will notice a lot of soil around the roots. Remove that soil carefully without damaging the root. After removing the soil, wash the roots under running water gently.

Remove the damaged roots:

For this step, you will need a sharp scissors. Do not forget to sterilize the scissor before using them on the roots. After washing the roots properly, you will observe some brown and mushy roots. These roots are the reason for the contamination, remove them carefully using scissors.

Let the plant dry:

After you are done removing the infected roots, let your plant dry in the air. There is a simple reason for this step, the roots have been introduced to a lot of moisture for a while and now they are required to be dried. It can take up to 2 hours to dry them completely.

Plant the monstera into a new pot:

Now after cleaning and drying the monstera plant you need to pot it again in a new pot. If you tend to use the old pot again, make sure to wash it properly before planting the monster again. Before planting it again make sure you have removed every part of the plant that has been damaged.

In the pot places the plant, add the soil from the sides, and apply a little pressure on the top of the soil to make it settle properly. You can also use pebbles with soil but do not use excessive amounts of pebbles as they will block the drainage hole. 

Concluding lines

In this guide, you come to know that Monstera plants are beautiful and can easily enhance the beauty of every corner that they are placed. The uniquely shaped spade-like leaves of this plant are one of its best features. If you are feeling that your plant is about to die, and you are not able to identify the problem. Then you may have a serious problem growing under the soil, away from your eyes which is eventually damaging the roots of the plant. Read the guide fully to know more about the monstera root rot signs. 

FAQ‘s