Aloe Vera Root Rot Facts and Causes

Last Updated on February 15, 2022 by Real Men Sow

Root rot is the most serious disease that can affect aloe vera. This can cause your aloe vera plants to die. This is due to low temperatures and excess watering. The plant will rot if it is not identified early enough. Root rot is the most serious and fatal form of aloe vera. These are the steps you can take to protect aloe vera root rot:

  • Move the plant to better lighting conditions
  • Allow the potting soil to dry
  • To get rid of the soil, remove the plant from the ground and raise the root system.
  • Remove any mushy, damaged roots
  • Repot in a new container using fresh potting mix
  • Check the drainage system of your new pot

Can Aloe Vera Survive Root Rot?

Root rot is the most dangerous type of disease. It can’t be detected early enough to cause serious complications. It does not have visible symptoms as it develops. Aloe vera can be saved from root rot, if it is properly treated. However, you must act quickly if you suspect it is suffering from root rot.

Causes of Aloe Vera Root Rot

This rot is usually caused by fungi. Aloe vera belongs to succulents and that means it thrives in a hot and dry environment. Aloe loves light, sandy soils that are well-aerated. You can make aloe vera more susceptible to this type of disease if you don’t provide the right conditions.

Frequent Watering

Aloe vera should not be watered very often, that’s why it is best to water Aloe Vera once a week. Make sure that the soil isn’t moist before watering. Do not water if the soil is damp.

There will be problems if you water your aloe too often. This is easy to avoid. Root rot can be prevented by overwatering the soil because they can become irritated by dry conditions and frequent watering. Root rot can be accelerated if the zoot area is submerged for longer than 15 minutes.

Small Container

It’s possible you haven’t thought of it but if the container is too small, the roots can get squeezed together in a tight circle. If you water the pot, the moisture in the potting soil will stay for a while. Water drainage is difficult because of the soil’s tightness. Even though the ground appears dry from the top, it is still water-draining.

The root system will suffer from a lack of oxygen. Roots are made less oxygenable by waterlogging. Stagnant water promotes fungal growth. This causes additional stress to the plant and can lead to rotting.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia can also affect plants and the situation can get worse if your aloe vera is kept in cold places and you water it too much. Strong winds and the fact that the soil is cooling makes succulents more likely to rot in autumn than winter. Root rot fungus thrives in soggy, cold soil. In warm seasons, it is possible for the plant to be damaged by cold water. A fungal infection can develop even with moderate watering.

Pathogenic Infections

Even if you take all precautions, your aloe can get infected. If an aloe vera is planted in the same container as another diseased plant, it’s possible that there are still disease agents.

Because they can survive for many years in an old pot. They are at their best when they have access to moist or soggy soil. They can quickly get into the new host if the circumstances are favorable.

Organic Fertilizer Application

Indoor gardeners often try to revive a plant that is sick with fertilizer application but this is not something you want to do.

The growth of fungi can be accelerated by adding fertilizer to the plant, which can lead to root rot. If your aloe vera has become too dry and is beginning to show signs of root rot, you should stop applying any fertilizer.

How To Identify Aloe Vera Root Rot

Overwatering and poor care can often cause root rot. This is a deadly disease that affects aloe vera, succulents and can cause aloe vera to die. You need to check your aloe vera every day in order to find out. You can then identify warning signs and take the necessary steps to correct them.

The following can help you detect root rot in time:

  • Regular inspections of the aloe vera will show that growth has slowed or stopped. The plant will stop responding to watering after this point.
  • You’ll see the wilting of old leaves.
  • The bottom of the aloe plant starts to show.
  • The stem will eventually dry out.
  • Aloe vera becomes thin at the root neck and can even be broken down.
  • The stem’s appearance is pleasing. The lower leaves, however, become soft and loose like they have been saturated with water.
  • The aloe plant emits a strong, pungent, and unpleasant odor.
  • When the root turns brown or black it will feel softened and water-soaked.

How to Save Aloe Vera If The Root System Is Rotted?

Inspect the Aloe Vera Root System

Root rot symptoms can be detected immediately. But it will be very difficult to save aloe vera from this deadly disease if you don’t act fast. Place the plant in a brighter area and allow it to dry for several hours. This will make it easier to remove the plant from the pot and examine the root system.

Look out for roots that are brown or black. Infected roots may also feel soft and water-soaked. Root rot can be confirmed by the smell of its roots. Root rot will cause a pungent and foul-smelling odor in your aloe vera.

Cut off The Infected Roots

This is the right time to perform surgery to save your aloe vera. Use a disinfected garden scissor to remove the infected roots.bOnly remove the brown/black soft parts from the root system. Dip the entire root system in a fungicide solution. A potassium permanganate solution can also be used to disinfect the roots. This will prevent any further fungal infections. Dry the roots and wrap them in kitchen tissue or a soft, lean cloth.

Pot Preparation

Your aloe vera pot is more than a decorative item. It serves another purpose: to regulate moisture. Pay attention to drainage holes at the bottom of any aloe plant pot. The drainage holes will drain excess water. Excess is what I mean. Many people think aloe, just like other succulents, does not like too much water. It could not be more wrong. Aloe drinks a lot of water, but only for a brief time. This means that Aloe doesn’t like standing in water.

Root rot can be fatal if the roots remain in the water for too long. You should therefore be cautious when selecting the right tools for aloe vera. Make sure you choose a pot with large water drainage holes. This assumes that you have prepared the soil and purchased the correct potting mix to grow your aloe vera. Aloe vera loves to spread its roots so it is important to choose the right plant pot. The ideal size of the planting pot should be large enough to support the root system.

Prepare Soil Mix for Aloe Vera

There are ready-made soil mixes for aloe vera transplantation that can be purchased on the market. You can prepare your own soil mixture.

Aloe loves well-drained soil so you need to add inorganic elements. Aquarium stones can be used as a substrate by living organisms and are very useful for this purpose. This means they are free of bacteria and fungus. Pour them with boiling water if you are unsure.

Simply place it in a sieve and add hot water. You can get rid of any fungi by brewing them this way. You should choose the right size stones as too many will cause problems with aloe vera. Spice up your composition with colored stones in different sizes.

Best soil mix for aloe vera is:

To measure the amount, you can use a cup of water or a spoon. Make sure you disinfect the soil before using it in the new pot. To sterilize the soil, a microwave oven is a good option.

It is important to do this in order to ensure that the aloe vera is properly repotted. It is not a good idea to transfer bacteria from one plant to another. Your soil will be clean if you heat it to 302°F/150°C for 30 min.

Remove Aloe Vera Plant From The Pot

Remove aloe vera gel from the pot, and do it when the soil is dry to make things easier. You will need to hold the aloe in one hand, and then remove it from the pot with the other.

Loosen The Roots

Loosen the soil gently so that it doesn’t damage the roots. Remove the aloe vera gel from the pot. Then, remove any soil around the roots. Examine the root system so the damage level should be determined. Rinse the roots with running water then use a sharp knife to cut out the rotten roots.

How to Repot Aloe Vera (Step by Step)

  • To prevent infection, gently disinfect the roots using charcoal/fungicide solution/potassium manganate
  • Aloe vera gel can be left on for at least one day to allow the roots to dry.
  • Buy a new pot but if you are unable to find a replacement, wash the pot.
  • Use soap and hot water to clean the old container.
  • Check that water doesn’t pool at the bottom.
  • Place the soil mixture in a pot and let it dry.
  • You can water the substrate or moisten it slightly.
  • Place the plant in a sunny, warm place.
  • Do not water aloe vera until at least 1-2 week after repotting.

How to Care for Aloe Plant After Repotting

Once the aloe gel has settled, you can change to moderate moistening the soil. Use only room temperature water. Cold or warm water can cause damage to the plant. In the warm season, water the aloe twice per month. It should be watered once per month in winter and autumn. The plant can be left without water until spring. The plant should not be exposed to the cold or draft. You can keep to the golden rule of aloe, dryness is better than waterlogging.

How to Prevent Aloe Root Rot

Avoid Waterlogging

Aloe root rot can be prevented by changing the environment. It’s a fact that moisture and wetness can promote fungal infections. Avoid waterlogging, and make sure the substrate and soil are well-aerated. Root rot is more common in soil that is wetter than it is in hardier soils.

Regular Water Schedule

Aloe vera cannot be watered for its entire plant at once and requires water on a daily basis, depending on the season and growth stage. You must set a watering schedule for aloe vera. You can keep your plant healthy by following the schedule.

Consider Plant Rotation

Root rot can be a serious problem in your garden. You should make sure you plan your next year’s planting schedule. A pathogen can only grow on certain plants or plant families.

So make sure your indoor garden is diversified. Avoid keeping aloe roots in the same container if they start to rot. When planting a new plant, you should change the soil and container. This will prevent aloe root decay.

Loosen The Soil

To loosen hard soil, you can add compost or sand to it. Perlite and sand can be used in the soil mixture to loosen it. Organic material encourages humus production and water storage. It doesn’t require frequent watering. Your aloe vera will not need to be overwatered but if there isn’t enough water, the root won’t develop.

Prevention

Pesticides will not always work as they are supposed to and the active ingredients in fungicides won’t penetrate the soil. You can use the best practices discussed above to prevent aloe root rot, and encourage healthy plant growth.

Conclusion

Make sure that the soil conditions for growing aloe vera are suitable. Prevention is better than trying to control a disease.

Real Men Sow
Real Men Sow

Hello, I’m Pete and I’m currently based in the west of Scotland, in a small place called Rosneath, where I’m exploring my garden adventures. I personally started gardening around 6 years ago and initially, I started out by growing my favorite fruits and berries, such as strawberries, Raspberries & Gooseberries. Since then I’ve added a lot of vegetables and working closely with my neighbor, it’s been a lot of fun.