Hydroponics is one such process where the roots of the plants are grown in water instead of soil. Many plants are grown hydroponically. They grow with the help of water and nutrients. The plants can grow well if they receive the right amount of water, adequate air, and a good amount of nutrients.
Plants, grown hydroponically, thrive better than plants grown in soil as they receive everything easily that is necessary for the healthy growth of the plants.
But the plants need high maintenance and proper care as their roots may get infected with bacteria and fungi quite easily. Learn how to fix root rot hydroponics in detail in this article.
What Is Root Rot?
When the plants are submerged in water for a long time and the oxygen level in the water is low, it leads to bacterial and fungus growth, which spoils the root. It also happens due to heat, light leaks, or when the reservoir and the environment of the grow room are not clean. It may spread from one plant to another if it is not treated at the right time. The plant may die within one week when its root starts rotting.
What Are the Symptoms of Root Rot?
A healthy root will always be firm and creamy in color. When the root of the plant becomes brown and mushy, the water starts to smell nasty, and the leaves of the plant turn yellow, it means the root is rotting.
Other signs of root rot are wilting of the plant, spots and burning edges of the leaves, and slow growth of the plant. Water mold like phytophthora ruins the roots of the plants and infects the system. Therefore, plants lose the ability to uptake nutrients and water to thrive.
If they are left in that condition for a long time, the plants will decay. So, without wasting any time you need to fix the root rot and save the plant.
How to Prevent Root Rot Hydroponics?
The Right Amount of Water:
Make sure to submerge the plants in the right amount of water so that they receive a sufficient amount of both water and oxygen.
When the amount of water is more, the oxygen level becomes less, therefore the plants cannot breathe and the bacteria as well as root rot weed starts growing and attacks the roots.
The water level in the reservoir should be checked regularly as less amount of water is not helpful for the healthy growth of the plants too.
Use Clean Water:
Always check the condition of the water. If the water becomes contaminated fast, then make sure to change it every week. Plants need clean water for healthy growth, and if the plant stays in the dirty water for a long time, then the possibility of its root to rot increases.
Clean the Grow Room and Reservoir:
Before you start planting hydroponically, make sure to clean the grow room thoroughly to get rid of the germs and sterilize all the items necessary for the plantation.
Plus, clean the reservoir regularly to prevent bacterial growth. Plants growing in a clean and fresh environment decreases the chances of root rot.
Beneficial Bacteria:
There are a lot of beneficial bacteria in the market that protects the root system and helps it to thrive. Purchase them after researching and reading the reviews. You can add them to the nutrient solution of the plant and create a protective root system for the plants.
High Level of Oxygen:
A plant thrives more when the oxygen level is high. If the plants don’t receive a sufficient amount of oxygen, then the chances of root rot increase.
You can use an air pump or air stones for your hydroponically grown plants to oxygenate the reservoir. Bubbles are formed that helps more oxygen to dissolve in the water and prevent the root from rotting.
Keep the Grow Room Cool:
When the temperature of the room is high, the reservoir and the water become warm too and that makes way for fungal and bacterial growth in the root system. You need to keep the grow room cool as much as possible so that the reservoirs remain cool too.
Install exhaust fans in the room to maintain a normal temperature. The temperature recommended for the healthy growth of the plants and to prevent root rot is 73°F – 67°F.
Keep Away from Light:
Did you know that light helps the growth of bacteria in the roots? Yes, the light that enters into the reservoir can increase mold build-up and harm the plants. Allowing the roots to grow in darkness is beneficial for the plants.
Purchase a thick reservoir with no gaps and has a reflective color. You can also cover the top of the reservoir with a foil or any thick material so that it prevents the light from penetrating inside the reservoir.
Do Not Disturb the Roots:
When the roots are small and are in the early development stage, don’t disturb them by touching them or changing the reservoir water frequently. The young roots don’t have a protective biofilm layer to prevent themselves from the bacteria and fungus attack.
So, they can be damaged by the bacterias quite easily. So for the healthy growth of young plants, it is necessary not to interrupt their development process.
Adding Hydrogen Peroxide:
Many gardeners use hydrogen peroxide to the hydroponic nutrient solution to eliminate the fungus. Hydrogen peroxide releases extra oxygen when added to the solution.
It promotes healthy growth of the roots and provides oxygen for them to absorb and kills bacterias. You can find several hydrogen peroxides in the market with different percentages of strengths like 3%, 8%, 5%, and 35%. But the most recommended strength of hydrogen peroxide for hydroponics is 35%.
How to Fix Root Rot Hydroponics?
If one of your plants has started showing the symptoms of root rot, then you can follow the below steps to fix it.
- Firstly, take out the infected plant from the reservoir.
- Take a clean scissor and cut off the rotted roots and also the yellow leaves, so that they don’t come in contact with the healthy ones.
- Clean the reservoir and add water and nutrient solution in it, you can also add some beneficial bacteria to protect the roots from further rotting.
- You can add hydrogen peroxide if you want to as per instructions to fix the root rot.
- Put back the plant in the reservoir.
- Decrease the temperature of the grow room and try to maintain it and air pump the water whenever required.
Wrap Up
Roots are the most important part of the plants and a healthy root helps to boost the overall growth of the plant. Root rots can be a headache, but you need to take preventive measures so that you don’t have to face it more often.
Even if you want to treat root rot, then make sure you are not too late to do that and take immediate action when you see any of the above-mentioned symptoms. I hope this article on how to fix root rot hydroponics will help you in getting rid of the root rot fungus and bacterias from the roots of your lovely plants.
Good luck process on how to treat root rot hydroponics.
