The climatic conditions in this country will hardly produce any fruit from an avocado. However, the plant is always an ornament and is therefore often cultivated. When people reach for the watering can, their origins in rather dry areas are often forgotten. This takes revenge with root rot.
How do you treat root rot on avocado plants?
Avocado root rot is a fungal infection that is promoted by excessive watering and waterlogging. In order to save the plant, affected roots and parts of the plant should be generously removed, the avocado should be repotted in fresh soil and care should be taken to ensure an adequate water supply in the future.
Root rot on avocado plants
Root rot, as the name suggests, mainly affects the root system of avocado trees.
- Fine roots turn black
- they become brittle
The roots of the avocado are located in the soil to provide the plant with important nutrients and water. But this fact also keeps them hidden from our eyes, so that we do not notice the root changes described above.
Visible symptoms
Since the damaged root system is becoming increasingly unable to supply the above-ground parts of the plant, over time it is inevitable that visible changes will also appear on the leaves at some point:
- light green to yellow discoloration
- partly with brown tips and edges
Root rot in an advanced stage causes the leaves to wilt and fall off completely. The top branches also die because they are the worst cared for.
In their homeland, the fruits would now be exposed to the sun without protection. This problem is just as rare in this country as the fruits in question.
Identify causes
The causes of root rot are fungi that like warm or waterlogged soil. For avocados that have to grow in pots, care errors are usually responsible for an environment that is too wet.
- watering too often and too much
- Water remains in the coaster
- if applicable. There are no drainage holes and/or a drainage layer
- It can easily become waterlogged
Injured roots are an open entry point for pathogens and further increase the risk of disease.
Combating root rot
Because this infection remains invisible for a long time, it is often fatal for the avocado. In any case, no pesticides are approved for private use, so there is little that can be done for the avocado in the early stages.
- prune diseased roots generously
- also affected above-ground parts
- Planting avocado in new soil
- Use a pot with drainage holes
- create a drainage layer made of coarse material
Tip
Dispose of all cut plant parts and the old soil with household waste and disinfect the cutting tools used to prevent the spread of the fungal pathogen.
Further care and prevention
The newly potted avocado must be properly watered from now on so that the scenario does not repeat itself. In general, prevention is the best way to protect an avocado from root rot:
- water depending on the weather
- the substrate must always be slightly moist
- but the avocado should never be left wet
- short dry periods are more likely to be tolerated
