[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Root Rot
Root rot is a waterborne disease that attacks the plant roots. There are several varieties of root rot but all are treated the same way. Rot can cause a crop to fail rapidly. The symptoms are almost like those of a nutrient disorder, overwatering or underwatering. Wilting is a very common symptom of root rot.
Poor water drainage promotes root rot. Water and soil that is not suitably aerated (either by the growing method or by the soil's natural composition) promote root rot. Dead roots from a previous crop can also cause root rot. Root rot can easily be prevented by selecting suitable soil types and aerating water if needed.[/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Root rot prevents the plant from accessing water and nutrients by attaching itself to the roots and smothering the plant of its requirements. Root rot also causes pH to rise. In hydroponic systems the root tips may look burnt although some feeding products can dye the plant roots as well. In the advanced stages of root rot the roots appear to be covered in a brown slime that looks like dead algae. Eventually the base of the plant will rot away causing the plant to topple. Once a root is dead it remains dead.The plant can grow new roots but not regenerate old ones. This causes plant stress and the effect is very similar to transplant shock.
There are products on the market that can be used to eradicate root rot and are usually referred to as Voot shields'. In its advanced stages root rot is very hard to stop. In severe cases it cannot be and the plant needs to be cloned to continue its line. In order to recover from root rot you should increase aeration of the medium if possible while applying the root rot fungicide. If you lower pH below 6.0 you should prevent the rot from spreading. It is wiser to cull a number of plants then to allow the rot to spread to other areas of the soil, especially outdoors.
Overwatering promotes root rot. Better drainage systems, keeping your grow items clean and hydrogen peroxide will all help to prevent root rot. Vitamin Bl (thiamine) will help promote root growth.[/FONT]
