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Post by belugaleuca on Jan 30, 2021 13:37:09 GMT -5
Today is day 33 of growing herbs, and unfortunately I have a bad case of root rot! Just 5 days ago, on the first water change after 4 weeks, everything seemed dandy, though I did notice the Thyme having increasingly yellow roots and started to grow more slowly. But suddenly many of the roots turned brown. I added 1 tbsp of hydrogen peroxide yesterday, and today I see some new white roots are forming again, but the brown roots are becoming mushy. My suspicion is that the temperature was a bit too high (our room air temperature is generally around 21 C), and it seemed fine when the plants were smaller, but now that they're a lot bigger they're probably taking up all the oxygen. I changed the water today, rinsed the roots out, and cut off the tips, and added a fresh tbsp of H2O2 and no fertilizer. I don't know it it's going to work because there's a lot of brown roots still there all tangled up. Do you think I can salvage it/ is there anything else I should do?   |
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Jan 30, 2021 13:43:29 GMT -5
The roots do not look bad. As you add nutrients to the water they will discolor and get a tan/light brown. They do not look mushy or muddy at all. If you want just trim the stranglers of roots off but it does not look like root rot.
The plants look healthy. Just add ice cubes to the water. Check the water daily and if needed add ice cubes.
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Sher
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Post by Sher on Jan 30, 2021 13:53:25 GMT -5
belugaleuca, just to stay on the safe side, I would add 1 or 2 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide every week.
My ornamedible pepper has roots a lot darker than yours, and I am worried about it too.
As Shawn said, I don't think yours is anything to be too worried about now. |
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Post by belugaleuca on Jan 30, 2021 14:03:01 GMT -5
Gosh I sure hope it's just the fertilizer discoloration! But it did seem a bit mushy to me. I don't know yet.
Sure I'll add 1 tbsp of hydrogen peroxide each week, just in case. The plants above ground seem fine so far but I just fell in love with the plants, so every little thing makes me nervous!
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Jan 30, 2021 14:07:37 GMT -5
I was the same way at first. Just keep the water clean and cool and trim the roots at the tips if you want.
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Post by belugaleuca on Feb 1, 2021 22:55:58 GMT -5
Here's an update on the root situation. There's still no sign of browning or dying above ground, and there's no bad smell. When I touch the roots it's not slimy, but there's certainly been more browning and continual shrivelling of the roots. Each time I look, it's browner and more shrivelled than the last. It's a big difference when compared to the 'good' picture from the first post. I think the Hydrogen Peroxide has been keeping it at bay though, as I can see new white roots growing, but it's not the beautiful bulk it was before the problem set in. I am looking into getting some Hydroguard as an experiment to see if it can help keep this system alive.  |
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Sher
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Post by Sher on Feb 1, 2021 23:25:10 GMT -5
belugaleuca , not having any bad smells is a very positive sign, as are new white roots.
My one pepper plant's roots look just like that. No bad smells, but nothing like the lighter pepper roots I usually have. In fact, the other plant in that Bounty has much lighter roots, so I know it is not a disease in the water.
I also just keep adding peroxide and crossing my fingers.
Sometimes when plants get older, their roots turn darker. But mine is bearing its first round of peppers, so it shouldn't be age.
Wishing us both positive outcomes!
I am interested in hearing how the Hydroguard works out.
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Feb 2, 2021 6:23:10 GMT -5
Aerogarden has an article on this. I have pepper plants going for months and my roots are brownish from the staining of the nutes. I do R&R's and my roots will never be white. HOWEVER they are not mush and do not smell. |
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Sher
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Post by Sher on Feb 2, 2021 11:00:54 GMT -5
Shawn, the pictures in that article are perfect for showing the difference between healthy brownish roots and root rot.
Very reassuring!
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Post by belugaleuca on Feb 6, 2021 13:04:24 GMT -5
Here's another update! It's day 38 of growth, and new white roots are starting to take over again. Two things may have contributed to better health: 1. When I touch the water or the surface of the plant tray, it's always cool now. I think now that the plants are bigger, they're shading the plastic and keeping the base cooler. In the earlier weeks, there were times when the water actually felt warm, and the plastic was hot. 2. Since the plants are taking up so much water, I am adding a cup of fresh water every day now. This must also help with keeping the oxygen levels replenished. I did purchase some Monterey bacterial innoculation ( bacillus amyloliquefaciens, which is the same bacteria in Hydroguard), but I didn't add it yet. I'm concerned because the bacteria also requires oxygen, so I don't want it to compete with the plants unless I add an air pump too. But for now, it's neat to see if it can recover on its own.  |
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Feb 6, 2021 13:18:03 GMT -5
They look great. Wonderful news! Thanks for keep us posted.
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Sher
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Post by Sher on Feb 6, 2021 17:11:22 GMT -5
It is so exciting to see plants bounce back and become healthy again. I love the new roots!
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Post by belugaleuca on Feb 9, 2021 15:06:24 GMT -5
So, although the plant roots are indeed improving, I wanted to increase the chances of success. Especially as the roots grow bigger again, I still worry about oxygen since our temperatures here are warm. Two days ago I installed a tiny 1W air pump and added 6 mL of Monterey's organic biofungicide/bactericide, which contains Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747. It's a registered organic biofungicide, and it's not known to have any harmful effects for humans (except possible allergies if you get it on your skin). The 6 mL was just roughly based on the bottle's recommendation of 1 tbsp per gallon. I got this one just because it's a little less expensive than the Hydroguard (but same bacteria) and I don't need much. There's a thesis with a really nice summary of this bacteria and how it works: "B. amyloliquefaciens is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, strictly aerobic, which has pericyclic flagella able to make it highly mobile during some life stages, whose cells can clump together forming long chains. Its optimum growth temperature is between 30° and 40°C.
As many species belonging to the genus Bacillus is spore-forming, aspect that allows him to overcome unfavourable periods and survive for long periods of time. The endospores are formed under conditions of extreme environmental stress and/or nutrition.
These characteristics are crucial in the guarantee him the persistence even in adverse conditions.
This bacterium colonizes easily roots, leaves, and each plant organ, where it multiplies rapidly, thus preventing the establishment of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Its antagonistic activity is expressed through a complex mechanism based on the competition for the nutrient sources, for the space, but also on the production of active substances."Source: Dr. Lorenzo Gallipoli (2014) "CHARACTERIZATION OF NATURAL ANTAGONISTS OF Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, ISOLATED IN DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC WORLD AREAS" [PhD Thesis] So after adding the Bacillus, I won't be adding any more hydrogen peroxide for a while as that would kill it. I won't have any way to know if it's effective or not since it's still possible the roots could have continued improving on their own. |
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Post by belugaleuca on Feb 9, 2021 16:18:47 GMT -5
Just for records here's how the roots look today:  |
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Sher
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Post by Sher on Feb 9, 2021 16:32:32 GMT -5
And the improvement in your roots is amazing!
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Post by belugaleuca on Feb 9, 2021 17:17:20 GMT -5
Thanks Sher and Shawn and everyone for your encouragement! It sure is a relief to see them coming back  |
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Post by belugaleuca on Feb 20, 2021 1:13:12 GMT -5
Alright! The roots have officially taken over the tank. The brown roots are still there shrivelled up but the new roots have taken over so I can't really see the old roots anymore. All except for the thyme - somehow its roots are still kind of brown. But at least the plant is still growing. I have to add a cup of water 2x per day now and the tank seems pretty full - should I do a root trim?   |
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Sher
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Post by Sher on Feb 20, 2021 7:12:05 GMT -5
belugaleuca, first I wanted to tell you that I got some of the Montrey fungicide and bacteriacide you lnked to. I am using it sparingly in the grow tent and also in the Aerogardens I have running.
I am thinking of trying to grow heirloom tomatoes outdoors this year since I am hoping that it will protect them against the various wilts they can be prone to.
So thank you for the recommendation!
I will let someone else advise you on root trimming since I don't feel qualified.
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Feb 20, 2021 10:35:30 GMT -5
I myself trim roots when they get out of control. I pull the deck up (or the plant if easy enough and trim straight across the bottom (left to right). I start off with a little and go from there. I have also trimmed a few from the sides but careful not to go close to the base of the plant. I have been lucky not to loose any plants this way.
Again this is just What I MYSELF do.
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Post by belugaleuca on Feb 28, 2021 20:05:14 GMT -5
Thanks Shawn for sharing your experience , I cut the roots and the plants seem to be doing fine!
And Sher I'd love to know how it goes with the bacteria in your grow tent / tomatoes!
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