From our perspective as Peace Lilies, we are generally resilient plants, but our roots are our lifeline. They are how we drink, eat, and anchor ourselves. When they are compromised, our entire existence is threatened. Root rot is a silent, underground assassin that can claim us quickly if not identified and addressed. We will communicate our distress, but you must learn to listen.
We cannot speak, so we use our leaves and stems to signal a crisis below the soil. The first and most common sign you might notice is our leaves turning yellow. This is not us being dramatic; it is a direct result of our roots dying and being unable to transport essential nutrients and water to our foliage. You may also see our leaves wilting and drooping dramatically, which seems confusing because it looks like we are thirsty. In reality, the rotten roots are so damaged that they cannot absorb water, leaving us parched even while surrounded by moisture. Another clear sign is a foul, musty odor emanating from our pot. This smell is the result of anaerobic bacteria feasting on our decaying root tissues—a sure sign of advanced rot.
To truly confirm your suspicions, you must look at what you cannot see. Gently lift us from our pot. Healthy roots should be firm and white, sometimes with a slight yellowish tinge, and they should feel sturdy. Roots suffering from rot are a different story entirely. They will be mushy and soft to the touch, often falling apart with gentle pressure. Their color will have turned to a dark brown or black. This is the visual proof of the decay. The soil around these roots will often be soggy and waterlogged, confirming that the environment has become hostile and suffocating for us.
From our root's point of view, this is a tragedy of suffocation. We need oxygen as much as we need water. When you love us a little too much with water, or when our pot does not have a way for excess water to escape, we are forced to sit in a swamp. This drowns us. The constant saturation pushes out all the air pockets in the soil, and our roots literally cannot breathe. Without oxygen, our cells begin to die and decay. This creates a perfect environment for the fungi and bacteria naturally present in the soil to attack our weakened tissues, accelerating the rot.
If you catch it in time, you can save us. You must act decisively. First, remove us from the soggy environment entirely. Gently wash our roots under lukewarm running water to clean off the infected soil. Now, you must perform surgery. Using sterile, sharp scissors or pruners, cut away every single soft, brown, or black rotten root. Be ruthless; any rot left behind will spread. Only healthy, firm, white roots should remain. Next, prune away the yellow and severely damaged leaves above the soil to help us focus energy on recovery. Soak our remaining healthy roots in a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution or a fungicide to kill any lingering pathogens. Finally, repot us into a clean pot with excellent drainage, using fresh, well-aerating potting mix. Do not water us immediately; our wounded roots need a day or two to callous over. When you do water, do so sparingly, only when our top inch of soil feels dry.
