From down here in the soil, it's a nightmare. My roots are your plant's lifeline, its mouth and lungs, and we are suffocating. When you pour too much water, it fills all the air pockets in the soil. We need oxygen to respire and function, but now we're trapped in a murky, stagnant swamp. We begin to soften, weaken, and rot. This rot isn't just an injury; it's a death sentence that starts with us and will travel upwards. Without healthy roots to absorb water and nutrients, the entire plant above will starve and dehydrate, ironically, while sitting in water.
Up here, we leaves are the first to show the turmoil happening below. Our normally firm, arching structure begins to fail. You'll notice us turning a pale, sickly yellow, starting with our oldest, lower leaves. We become soft, mushy, and may even feel slimy to the touch. In severe cases, the very base where we connect to the plant bulb turns black and rotten. We might also develop unsightly brown, water-soaked spots, which are the physical manifestations of the cells rupturing from the excess water pressure. We are wilting, not from thirst, but from the collapse of the root system that can no longer support us.
I am the bulb, the central storage organ and heart of this Clivia. My job is to store water and energy for dry periods, making me naturally plump. But this overwatering is overwhelming. The constant moisture is causing me to rot from the bottom up. If I become soft, brown, or mushy, the situation is extremely critical. I am the foundation; if I succumb, the entire plant will collapse. A healthy me should be firm and white or light green when slightly exposed. This rot is a silent killer, often progressing out of sight until it is too late.
If you act quickly, there is hope. First, you must stop the flooding immediately. Gently lift our entire root ball out of the pot. Carefully wash the soil away from our roots to assess the damage. Using sterile, sharp scissors, you must cut away all the soft, brown, and rotten roots. This is a surgical procedure to remove the infected parts and prevent the rot from spreading. Also, trim any yellow or severely damaged leaves back to the base. Repot us into fresh, well-draining potting mix, ideally one with added perlite or orchid bark. Most crucially, ensure the new pot has excellent drainage holes. Do not water us immediately after repotting! Our wounded roots need time to callous over. Wait at least a week before offering a small drink of water, and henceforth, only water when the top few inches of soil are completely dry. Place us in a bright, warm spot with good air circulation to help the soil dry appropriately and aid our recovery.
