Learn how to prevent and treat philodendron root rot

Rachel Puusta

There is no doubt that root rot is one of the most harmful things that can happen to your philodendrons, as it is one of the leading causes of death for these plants. Fortunately, this is an easy issue to prevent and treat if not too much damage has been done.

In most cases, it is caused by overwatering. But let’s be clear, overwatering itself does not cause rot. The excess moisture in the soil is what promotes the growth of root fungi.

Having too big of a pot and insufficient drainage can also lead to root rot. Excess water cannot escape from the pot and remains in the soil for too long. Rot quickly spreads in such a situation, however. 

Healhy roots. Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Healthy & damaged roots. Photo by livisjungle

Prevention is the best treatment. It is often challenging to detect root rot until much damage has already occurred. The symptoms are not readily apparent in the early stages of root rot since the damage starts below ground. A great deal of damage is already done to the plant when the above-ground symptoms appear, and the plant is at risk of extinction.

You can detect root rot by looking for the following symptoms:

  • soil is extremely wet
  • droopy leaves
  • stunted growth
  • mushy stems
  • wilting, yellow, distorted leaves
  • the soil will smell rotten
  • roots will look reddish-brown
  • softened root tips

There is no doubt that root rot is one of the more challenging problems to resolve. In this article, I will teach you how to prevent root rot, identify root rot, find out what caused the problem, and treat it.

What is root rot?

Root rot is a relatively common houseplant disease usually caused by a bacterial or fungal infection. These pathogens thrive in wet soil and eventually cause a plant’s roots to suffocate. Roots can also rot when exposed to overly moist conditions for too long.

As the engine of a plant, the roots keep everything running and provide fuel for all the foliage you see above ground. The root system can’t function without oxygen. As the roots die, nutrient uptake is disabled, resulting in plant death. When they die, the rest of the plant does as well.

Roots damaged by root rot. Photo by Plantication

Cut back damaged roots. Photo by Plantication

How does root rot develop?

Your current soil may contain dormant root rot pathogens. Whenever your philodendron sits in excess water for too long, rot-loving pathogens begin to thrive. When its population grows large enough, it will cause significant root damage to your plants.

How can you tell if your philodendron has root rot?

As I said, the first symptoms are under the soil and hard to see below the ground. In addition to inspecting the aboveground part of the plant, I recommend removing the plant from its pot and checking its roots and soil. Philodendron stem rot is a clear sign that something suspicious is going on. 

The eight most obvious signs that your philodendron has root rot are:

  1. Extremely wet soil. If you touch your soil from above or bottom, and it feels soaked, it’s probably overwatered. 
  2. Yellow and black leaves. Your waterlogged philodendron roots won’t have much oxygen left around them anymore. As a result, photosynthesizing is inhibited, and leaves lose their green pigment known as chlorophyll. When leaves lack chlorophyll, they appear yellow and turn black as dead.
  3. Dry & shriveled leaves. When roots rot, they won’t function normally and won’t transport nutrients, water, etc., to leaves. The plant goes into survival mode and will dry and shrivel as many leaves as it needs to survive. The symptom is closely related to the last one.
  4. Plant wobbles in its pot. Try gently shaking your plant from stem to stem; when it is wobbly, your plant’s root system is damaged and can no longer hold your plants in soil.
  5. Mushy stems. Plant stems can also be affected if the soil is too wet for too long. Too much moisture causes branches to become mushy near the soil surface. With your finger, you can feel it’s soft, moist, and mushy. 
  6. A tiny fungus gnat can be seen near the surface of the soil. Fungus gnats appear near the soil when the soil has been too moist. 
  7. Soil smells like rotten. If this is the case, your soil has severe rot, and the smell will be terrible. 
  8. Brown-reddish soggy roots. If philodendron root system is submerged in water for too long, it will turn brown, reddish and soaky.

Monitoring your plats every week is a good idea to see if there are any changes. This way, you can catch the problem before it gets worse. Plant problems can often occur very quickly and cause severe damage in a short amount of time.

You must begin the rescue operation if you discover very wet soil and brown and rotten roots. However, if the soil around your plant looks dry and the roots appear healthy, here’s how to find the cause of yellow leaves on your philodendron. 

Extremly wet soil. @sustainablegardengirl

Damaged roots are brown and soft. Photo by @homegirl2180

I have found that the only way to know is to pull the plant out of its pot and examine its roots. Easy step-by-step guide on how to analyze:

  1. Place an old mat or a plastic bag under the area where you will remove the plants. It will be easier to clean that mess that way.
  2. Pull the plant gently from its stem near the topsoil. Do not pull on leaves or weak parts of the plant. 
  3. Gently remove the soil around the roots and try to clean the roots as much as possible.
  4. Wash extra soil from roots gently in room-temperature water and see what comes off. Remove all softened, brown, or black roots. 
  5. Once you have done that, you can see if there are any savable roots. Healthy roots are firm and hard. Damaged roots look black, mushy, and soft. You can simply repot it in new soil if all the roots are healthy. 

Plant taken out of its pot. Photo by Teona Swift

Root inspection. Photo by Teona Swift

How can I treat root rotten Philodendron?

Your plant’s roots can be checked by taking it out of its pot. If they are brown, wet, and soggy, you must treat them immediately.

In the worst-case scenario, your plant will have no roots. Then it is a good idea to put philodendron into the water to re-root some healthy new roots. 

The following steps will show you how to treat root rot:

  1. Rinse the roots with water at room temperature. 
  2. You must wash away as much soil as possible to see how bad the damage is and if any healthy roots are left.
  3. Spread out the roots carefully to look for healthy ones. 
  4. Separate the rotten ones from the healthy ones. It may not be easy, but at least you would be sure only the good roots remain. 
  5. Roots that are in good health are white, challenging, and firm.
  6. Prepare a pair of nippers by sterilizing them with alcohol before trimming damaged roots.
  7. Take a look at the diameter of the root after trimming. 
  8. Whenever the root core appears brown and soggy, it is damaged, and you need to trim it more. 
  9. You don’t have to panic if the philodendron doesn’t have many healthy roots. You can still trim all damaged roots and try to save the plant.

The roots will begin to grow nods after a few weeks. After that, repot the plant into a light potting mix for aroids. When a plant seems less shaky, it’s a sign that it’s rooted well. When the wobbling stops, it’s a sign that the roots are becoming more assertive.

Here is an easy video tutorial on how to identify and treat root rot damaged philodendron:

How to prevent root rot?

The best treatment is prevention. I recommend monitoring all your plants at least once a month, but it is better once a week. It just means take a quick look at your plants and see if anything unusual catches your eye.

  1. Avoid overwatering. Water your philodendron only when the topsoil is slightly dried out. Remember that there is no exact formula for measuring watering density because it depends on how quickly your plant soil dries out. That is based on several factors, including room temperature. When you doubt the need to water your plants, remember that dry soil is better than wet soil.
  2. Well-drained soil. Avoid using dense and compacted soil with philodendrons because this soil is not draining correctly. Typically there are not enough air-holding materials within our plant’s soil. If your soil becomes compacted, it will eventually become waterlogged, causing your plant roots to rot. Philodendrons should always be potted in a light aroid soil or a potting mix specifically formulated for indoor plants. The more peat there is in the soil, the more water it can hold. I recommend choosing the soil that contains less peat. Do not use soil that is meant to use outdoor. You can also make your potting mix. 
  3. Choose a pot with drainage holes. These holes allow excess water to drain. If your pot lacks a drainage hole, excess water will accumulate around your roots, and root rot will soon follow. Philodendron roots don’t like being soaked in water. 
  4. Make sure the roots of your new plants are healthy when you purchase them. It is essential to check the roots of their plants at the garden center. Examining a plant’s roots by carefully sliding its root ball out of its grow pot is possible. An unhealthy plant has rotten-smelling soil and white or green roots. In addition, the plant is probably quite wobbly in its pot because it lacks a robust root system to anchor it in the soil. 
  5. Too big pot. If you put it on a larger pot, its roots were probably not developed enough to deal with the extra room. So roots cannot absorb all the water the extra soil was getting, resulting in the soil staying moist for a little too long, which causes root rot.

You can protect your philodendron from root rot by providing the plant with the previous points. If not, there is a possibility that root rot will soon be a problem for your philodendron. 

In conclusion

Root rot on philodendron can be a seriously annoying problem with unpleasant consequences. Luckily it is easy to prevent and easily treatable if detected in time. Don’t overwater your philodendron; that’s the most important thing.

Share your good tips for preventing or treating root rot with me. Just write your thought below in the comments. Together we can make this article even better. 

Hi! I’m Rachel
Nice to meet you

My passion for plants has grown over the years, so has my knowledge about them. I have master’s degree in horticulture & during my career I’ve advised thousand on clients about plant-related requests & issues at well-known garden center.

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