Hello. I am a Haworthia. From my perspective, rooted firmly in my pot, I want to communicate the distress I feel when my foundation—my roots—are under attack. Root rot is a silent, creeping terror for a plant like me. It begins unseen, beneath the soil, and by the time it shows on my leaves, I am in a critical fight for my life. Here is what I experience and what I need from you.
I cannot speak, so I communicate through my physical state. The earliest signs of my distress are not in my beautiful, plump leaves but in my roots. Unfortunately, you cannot see this. The first sign you might notice is a subtle change in my posture. I may become unstable in my pot, wobbling easily because my anchoring roots are decaying. The most telling sign, however, is when my normally firm, turgid leaves begin to soften, become translucent, and eventually turn a yellowish or blackish color. This is not me being thirsty; it is me drowning and rotting from the bottom up. The mushiness starts at the base and moves outward. I stop growing entirely, as I have no way to take up water or nutrients.
From my root's perspective, the problem is not just water, but a lack of air. My pot is my entire world. When you provide too much water too frequently, or my soil is too dense and retains water for days, you are essentially flooding my world. The air pockets in the soil are filled with water, and my roots begin to suffocate. They cannot breathe. This oxygen starvation weakens my root cells, making them vulnerable. Then, the ever-present fungi in the soil, like *Pythium* or *Phytophthora*, seize their opportunity. They attack the weakened, suffocating roots, causing them to decay and die. The rot then spreads, moving up into my stem and leaf base. It is a swift and devastating chain reaction: overwatering -> suffocation -> fungal attack -> rot.
If you suspect I am suffering, you must act quickly. Gently lift me from my pot. Shake off the old, wet soil and carefully inspect my roots. Healthy roots are firm and often a light color. Rotted roots are mushy, dark brown or black, and may fall apart to the touch. Using sterile, sharp scissors, you must cut away all the soft, rotten roots and any leaves that are affected. This is a painful but necessary surgery for me. Please let my remaining healthy tissue dry and callus over in a cool, shaded, airy spot for several days. This creates a barrier against new infection.
Once I have callused, I am ready for a new home. Do not put me back in the old, contaminated soil. I need a fresh, sterile, and very well-draining succulent mix. You can add extra perlite or pumice to ensure it drains quickly. The pot must have excellent drainage holes. When you repot me, be gentle with my remaining healthy roots. Do not water me immediately. I need about a week to settle into my new, dry home and to encourage my roots to seek out moisture. Then, you can give me a thorough but careful watering, ensuring any excess water drains completely away.
