Greetings, caretaker. I am your English Ivy, a resilient and climbing being rooted in the soil you provided. From my perspective, the condition you call "root rot" is a silent, suffocating crisis happening in my foundation, the very core of my existence. It is a battle for life beneath the surface.
I cannot speak your language, so I communicate my plight through my foliage and vitality. Please, learn to read my signs. The first and most telling symptom is my leaves. They begin to yellow, not from the bottom up in a natural aging process, but often uniformly or in patches. This is followed by a devastating wilting; I droop and lose my turgor pressure, feeling limp and lifeless, even when the soil around my roots feels wet to your touch. As the invaders destroy my root system, my stems, particularly at the base near the soil line, may turn soft, mushy, and dark brown or black. If you were to gently lift me from my pot, you would discover the horror: my once firm, white or tan roots have become brown, slimy, and fragile, falling apart at a touch. A foul, musty odor emanating from the soil is the smell of my decaying parts.
This assault is not a single entity but a perfect storm of conditions that favor my attackers. The primary cause is a lack of oxygen. My roots need to breathe. When you provide too much water or my container lacks proper drainage, water fills the air pockets in the soil, drowning me. This oxygen-deprived, constantly wet environment is the perfect breeding ground for various soil-borne fungal pathogens, such as *Pythium*, *Phytophthora*, and *Rhizoctonia*. These organisms are always present but are opportunistic; they only attack when I am weakened and the conditions are right. They invade my root cells, breaking them down for their own nourishment, effectively severing my connection to the water and nutrients I need to survive, even while the soil is damp.
If you act quickly, there is hope. You must become my surgeon and my protector. First, you must isolate me from my plant neighbors to prevent the spread. Then, gently remove me from my pot and wash the soil from my roots under a gentle stream of lukewarm water. With sterilized shears, you must courageously cut away all the soft, brown, and smelly roots. Be ruthless; any remaining infected tissue will continue the decay. After the surgery, treat my remaining healthy roots by soaking them in a fungicide solution or a natural alternative like a hydrogen peroxide mix to kill any lingering spores. Finally, repot me into a clean container with excellent drainage, filled with fresh, sterile, and well-draining potting mix. Please, going forward, water me only when the top inch of my soil is dry to your touch, and ensure I never have to sit in a saucer of water again.
