What it looks like
Leaves yellow and droop even though the soil is wet. Lower leaves drop. A musty smell comes from the pot. Roots are brown or black and mushy instead of firm and white.
Why it happened
Overwatering. Roots sit in water, cannot reach oxygen and die. The single most common killer of houseplants — and almost always well-intentioned.
What to do
1. Stop watering immediately. 2. Take the plant out of the pot and rinse the roots. 3. Cut away every brown, mushy root with sharp scissors. Healthy roots are pale and firm. 4. Repot into fresh dry substrate and a pot with a drainage hole. 5. Do not water at all for the first week. 6. If more than two thirds of the roots are gone, it usually cannot be saved — take a cutting instead.
How to prevent it
Check the soil with your finger before every watering. The pot must have a drainage hole. Never leave water standing in the saucer for more than 20 minutes.
Most common on these species
- Swiss cheese plant
- Snake plant
- ZZ plant
- Fiddle-leaf fig
- Aloe vera
- Succulent
- Cactus
- Moth orchid
- Yucca
- String of hearts
- String of pearls
- Elephant ear
- Jade plant
- Echeveria
- Living stones
- Cyclamen
- Ponytail palm
- Air plant
- Pincushion cactus
- Golden barrel cactus
- Cylindrical snake plant
- Money tree
- Gloxinia
- Sweetheart hoya
- String of nickels
- Ripple peperomia
- Dendrobium orchid
- Desert rose
- Panda plant
- String of beans
- Houseleek
- Crown cactus
- Bishop's cap cactus
- Starfish flower
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Gerbera daisy
- Thyme
- Common sage
- Lavender
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Garden lavender
- Pothos
- Rubber plant
- Peperomia
- Umbrella plant
- Corn plant
- Chinese evergreen
- Cast iron plant
- Satin pothos
- Swiss cheese vine
- Zebra haworthia
- Flaming Katy
- Christmas cactus
- African milk tree
- Prickly pear
- Burro's tail
- Geranium
- Poinsettia
- Clivia
- Amaryllis
- Bird of paradise
- Guzmania
- Chinese money plant
- Purple shamrock
- Chin cactus
- Tree houseleek
- Ox tongue
- Century plant
- Xanadu philodendron
- Coral bead plant
- Mini monstera
- Tree philodendron
- Angel wings
- Polka dot begonia
- Rex begonia
- Lipstick plant
- Goldfish plant
- Cymbidium orchid
- Dancing lady orchid
- Slipper orchid
- Urn plant
- Flaming sword
- Blushing bromeliad
- Crown of thorns
- Elephant bush
- Mother of thousands
- Ghost plant
- Bear's paw
- Peruvian apple cactus
- Orchid cactus
- Krantz aloe
- Poison primrose
- Oregano
- Marjoram
- Summer savory
- Tarragon
- Hyssop
- Lily
- Tulip
- Daffodil