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Sempervivum are one of their kind, they have the ability to reproduce themselves. Sempervivum is widely known as the Hens and chicks plant. These are super easy to grow and do not need much care and attention.
A few years ago I had my first Sempervivum, it was growing beautiful. Within a month and a half, I noticed the plant’s yellow leaves and pale appearance. I checked the roots and that was due to rot.
Let’s get to know quickly How to save a rotting Sempervivum?
To save a rotting Sempervivum, you must chop off the black, brown roots with a cutting tool, then repot the plant after a few days. The most common cause for root rot is overwatering.
In this article, I will share my experience of saving a rotting Sempervivum.
How to identify the root rot?
Root rot mostly occurs when the plant is being overwatered or it does not have a good drainage system.
To identify root rot:
You must look for the yellow leaves or pale appearance of the Sempervivum.
Then check the roots by uprooting the plant.
Then look for the black, brown roots, or look for the black spots on the roots. Those are the rotted roots that need to be treated.
3 Ways to treat Rotting
After identifying the rotting in the Sempervivum, you need to treat the plant. There are 3 ways to treat root rot, you can prefer any method you like according to your preference. (I prefer trimming the rotted roots).
1. Dry the roots
The first thing you should do is to remove the plant from the soil, then let the roots dry completely. Once they are completely dry then check if they are getting back to normal.
It is tough to get to know whether the rot is cured, so consider repotting them after a few days. Although, this method can be effective only if the rotting is in roots.
If the stem and leaves have rot then you cannot cure it with this method. This technique is not a guaranteed way to treat the rot, but it can be a potential cure.
2. Trimming
Trimming is the perfect way to treat the rotting Sempervivum. I prefer this method over all the others because there are high chances of saving a plant. Here are a few steps to follow:
Uproot the Hens and chick (Sempervivum) from the pot.
Gently remove the soil from the roots.
Then look for the black, brown roots or dark spots on the roots. Those are the rotted roots that you need to chop off. If the stems and leaves are yellow and rotted, cut them too.
Take clean scissors or a cutting tool, disinfect it so that plant won’t get any infection.
Now cut the roots with a cutting tool, make sure to cut the roots an inch above the rot, to get rid of rot completely. Similarly while cutting the leaves and stems, chop off the part an inch extra.
Leave the roots for a day or two to callous before repotting, to increase their survival chances.
3. Sulfur Treatment
Sulphur treatment is the last way to treat a rotting plant. This method is mostly used by the experienced gardeners.
Powdered sulfur is dusted on the roots while repotting. It acidifies the soil and kills the fungus, if the rot is due to overwatering then this treatment is of no use.
It does not cure the overwatered root rot, for that trimming is the way. If you still want to try it, then make sure the roots are dry while powdering them with sulfur.
When the plant starts to rot, Then it is quite tough to get rid of rotting, and there is very little chance that the plant surviving. Therefore, take care of a few things to prevent them from rotting.
Watering them correctly
Watering schedule is very important to avoid rotting. If the plant is overwatered then there are high chances of causing root rot.
So you must understand the watering needs of the Sempervivum. For that use the soak and dry method, water the plant only when the soil is completely dry.
Repeat this for every watering, this is the perfect way to avoid water issues. Also, while watering them make sure not to water on the leaves of the plant, as that can increase the humidity of the plant and cause rotting.
Give them light
Sempervivum is a sun-loving plant, they grow healthy when they get good sunlight for few hours. So while growing them make sure to keep them where they can get direct sun for a few hours, or partial light throughout the day.
If you are growing them outdoors, keep them under the shade cloth, to protect them from sunburns.
If you are growing them indoors, keep them near the windows to give them partial sunlight throughout the day and keep them ventilated to avoid rotting.
Keep them in good soil
Having good soil is like having a good home for the Sempervivum. You must keep them in a fast-draining soil which is rich in nutrients.
This type of soil flushes away all the excess water from the soil and retains only the required amount of water. Fast draining soil avoids overwatering and root rot in the Sempervivum.
You can make your potting mix by yourself just by adding a ⅓ portion of each soil, perlite, and cocopeat. MIx them thoroughly and it is ready for use.
Pot with a drainage hole
With fast-draining soil, it is important to have a pot with a drainage hole underneath. This type of arrangement avoids waterlogging at the bottom of the pot.
It flushes away all the excess water from the pot and avoids overwatering and root rot. Rotting caused by due excess watering is pretty difficult to cure.
Therefore, take care of these things to prevent Sempervivum from rotting.
Fertilization
Sempervivums need to be fertilized once a month, they need those extra nutrients to grow healthy.
Fertilization is essential because the soil does not have all the essential nutrients for a plant’s healthy growth. When the plant has a nutrition deficiency, it might start to turn pale in appearance or have dry leaves.
That can eventually cause the plant to die. Therefore fertilizing them frequently is important, consider using organic fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers harm the plant.
Sempervivum is a low maintenance plant, to prevent them from rotting take care of them once in a while. When they start to rot you must consider chopping off the rotted part. Make sure to do it very carefully without damaging the plant.
I hope you found this article helpful. Do share this information with others.
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