Daisies Root Rot: Signs, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

Daisies are perennial plants cultivated all over the world. They are drought-resistant flowers and can be grown with little care and attention. Like other flowers and plants, daisies are susceptible to root rot and require management and care for their healthy growth.

Root rot is a disease in plants that makes the roots of a plant rot and decay. It is a severe issue for daisies as that can impact the overall health of the plant.

Signs of rot root include stunting, wilting and discolored leaves of your plant.

The primary cause of root rot in daisies is over-watering. Other reasons, such as over-fertilization, pathogenic infections, inappropriate soil mix, and improper drainage, can also cause root rot in daisies. To fix root rot, repot the plant in a fresh soil mix and correct the watering schedule.

This article will help you recognize the possible causes of root rot in daisies and solutions to overcome them.

Causes of root rot in daisies

There are 10 significant causes of root rot in daisies. They are as follows:

Overwatering
Overfertilization
Inappropriate soil mix
Pathogens
Inappropriate temperature
Dormant seasonal care
Stress in plants
Ventilation
Buying sick plants
Contaminated tools

Let us discuss each point in detail.

Overwatering

Daisies just need 1-2 inches of water per week during summers and once in a month during winters. Overwatering can cause the drowning of plants.

The roots of daisies are weakened if they are submerged in water for a long time. It also reduces the plant’s oxygen supply, and the plant will not be able to breathe correctly.

It will also cause the cells of leaves to die, and the plant leaves will become soft and droopy.

Also read: How Much Water Do Daisies Need? (Daisy Water Requirements)

Overfertilization

Overfertilization decreases the growth and leaves the plant weak and vulnerable to pests and diseases. Fertilizers contain salts that will draw moisture out of your daisies.

Excessive fertilizers will kill the beneficial microorganisms in the soil. It will prevent the plant from absorbing water and nutrients and cause the burning of roots, resulting in root rot.

Inappropriate soil mix

Daisies don’t prefer overwatering. And over that, if your soil mix is inappropriate, then you are inviting root decay. Daisies prefer fast-draining soil that can hold enough moisture and can provide breathing space for the roots.

Daisies prefer a mix of organic matter, including manure compost, sand, peat moss. If the soil lacks sand, it will cause a problem with drainage that will make the daisies sit in water for an extended period and cause root rot.

If the clay content is more than sand, then the soil can retain water for days which can also be a reason for the leaves to drop and fall due to root rot.

Also read: What Kind Of Soil Do Daisies Need? (Daisy Soil Requirements)

Pathogens

Pathogens can cause root rot in daisies. Many fungi can cause root rot, such as Pythium, Phytophthora and Rhizoctonia, and Thielaviopsis.

These diseases are often caused by overwatering, damp soil, and exposure to inappropriate temperatures. It will cause wilting and yellowing of leaves and will restrict the growth of daisies.

Phytophthora Cryptogea

This pathogen will cause wilting of your daisies. The leaves will turn brown. The roots are rotted, and a crown rot develops.

Pythium

Pythium pathogens can cause the primary root of your daisies to suffer black rot, and the disease may spread to the stem tissue.

This pathogen attacks daisies if the moisture level in the soil is higher than 70%.

Thielaviopsis Basicola

This pathogen will turn the roots from dark brown to dark black. This will cause daisies leaves to turn yellow, wilt, and die. This pathogen persists in the soil to survive on plant debris.

Inappropriate temperature

Daisies prefer a temperature range between 40-70°F. Inappropriate temperatures can because root rot. Excessive heat will make the soil warm.

If you overwater your daisies and the soil is medium warm, you’ve got the building blocks for mold.

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Dormant seasonal care

Daisies slow their growth during winter, and it is their resting period. Cold temperatures decrease their enzyme activity. Excess of anything during dormant seasons can harm them.

Daisies need water only once a month during winters. If you over-water and over-fertilize them during winters, this will be a significant cause for root rot.

Fungal spores in wet soil and causes severe damage to the plant. The plants can no longer absorb water through infected roots.

Also read: How Do You Take Care Of Daisies In The Winter?

Stress in plants

Stressed daisies are easier targets for bacteria and pathogens to grow. The exposure of daisies to environmental stress can increase the occurrences of Phytophthora root rot.

They will start dropping their leaves and flowers. Stress in daisies can happen because of under watering, overwatering, and change of temperature.

Ventilation

Since daisies are outdoor garden plants, good air circulation is a necessity for them. Ensuring good airflow around them is as essential as sunlight, water, and organic matter.

If you are keeping your daisies in a crowded place or a tight space, then this can restrict the airflow. The roots of daisies will not be able to breathe properly and will turn soggy.

Buying sick plants

It will be best if you will be careful while buying garden plants. You may not find an early sign of root decay in their early stages.

A healthy daisy plant bears glossy, dark green leaves. You should avoid buying those daisies if their leaves seem discolored and wilted.

Contaminated tools

Contaminated tools can be a cause of root rot. Bacteria and other pathogens can cling to gardening tools. They will then infect plants, so it is essential to sanitize and clean the equipment after use.

Signs of root rot in daisies

Root rot can kill plants if not treated on time. Plants with root rot will not be able to absorb moisture and nourishment from the soil properly.

When your daisies start showing root rot symptoms, such as yellow leaves or stunted growth, you need to take action to solve the problem immediately.

You may notice some symptoms of root rot in your daisies. The signs of understanding if your daisies are suffering from root rot are:

Yellow and wilted leaves

The most familiar reason for the yellowing of leaves is moisture stress. Again this can be because of overwatering and under-watering. The soil turns moist and damp and can cause root rot.

Also read: Why Is My Daisy Turning Yellow? (Possible Problems+Solution)

Stunted or poor growth

If your daisies stopped showing any new growth, it means that the roots are not healthy and are suffering from root rot.

Daisies cannot absorb the nutrient it needs and is an apparent reason for stunted or poor growth.

Also read: Why Are My Daisies not blooming? (Causes+How To Fix)

Drooping of leaves

Poor soil drainage and improper watering can cause drooping of leaves since daisies prefer sandy soil that facilitates drainage.

If sand content is more petite and clay content is more in soil, this will not facilitate proper water drainage and other fertilizers. So plant will sit on water for long, and this will cause root rot.

Mushy roots and stems

If the roots of your daisies seem mushy and look dark, then this is a symptom of root rot. If root rot is the cause, the plant’s crown will also turn dark brownish.

The infected roots will become weak and slimy. They can easily fall off if you touch them. The stem of the plant also turns mushy and soft.

Foul odor from roots

Another symptom of root rot in daisies is the terrible odor from roots. If the root smells bad or slightly sulfurous, then it’s a clear indication that your plant is suffering from root rot.

How to treat root rot in daisies?

If you want your daisies to be alive, you need to take relevant immediate actions. Let us now discuss the steps to treat root rot in daisies.

The most effective treatment for root rot is the removal of affected plants and affected portions of roots. If the stems and leaves are entirely withered and dead, that means those plants are not coming back, so you have to remove them and save the other plants. For that, you should remove the soft mushy portion of roots with a pair of scissors.
Treatment also depends on the extent of root rot in your plants. You can also replant the affected plant in fresh soil that facilitates drainage to avoid standing water.
Apply nitrogen that will encourage plant and root growth. When plants are affected by root rot, they won’t get nitrogen from the soil. Choose potassium nitrate and ammonium sulfate, which will be a good source of nitrogen for daisies.
Remove soil around the base of your daisies. Avoid putting plants deeper on the grounds. It helps the roots near the topsoil to dry and recover from root rot.
You can wash the diseased roots of your plant in a fungicide solution before planting them in fresh soil. Also, You need to identify the fungus your daisies are infected with. You can visit the plant’s disease clinic. They will help in identifying the type of fungus and will also help to identify the proper fungicide. Chemical treatments such as fungicide, chloropicrin, and methyl bromide can reduce the level of infection in your daisies.
You can also organically treat your daisies. You can use cinnamon, Hydrogen peroxide, and chamomile for treating the affected roots.

How to prevent root rot in daisies

Prevention of rot in daisies is not that difficult. It’s all about watering and drainage. There are a few straightforward rules that you should follow if you see root rot in your daisies.

Avoid Overwatering

The main reason for root rot is overwatering. Overwatering makes the soil moist and heavy. The soil will face drainage problems, and this will cause root rot. Daisies appreciate a proper watering schedule.

Since you can’t control heavy rains, and sporadic watering can harm your plants. It means the plants do not have enough time to dry out between watering.

Constantly water your daisies as per their need and season. Always examine the soil before watering your plant.

Use of raised beds

You can put your daisies in a raised bed for proper drainage. Daisies susceptible to root rot can do well in raised beds.

Moisture will be less likely to sit around the roots because you put them in healthy–drained soil. Also, the beds will lose more moisture if they are surrounded by a porous material like wood or bricks.

Addition of organic materials

If you don’t want to raise beds for your daisies, you can increase soil drainage by adding organic materials to your soil. Use more manure compost, shredded leaves, or grass clippings to make your soil drain.

Put a coating of 2-3 inches organic mixture into your soil, then work to a 6 to 8 inches depth. But you have to work on this material throughout the year, as microorganisms can compost it.

Core Aeration technique

You can use the core aeration technique to encourage better drainage in outdoor plants such as daisies. Aeration of soil will allow a better distribution of water and a better flow of oxygen and prevent excess moisture in the soil.

For that, you can dig holes that are 1-2 inches wide in the ground, to a depth of (1.5) feet. Then you have to fill up the holes with a mixture of peat moss in equal parts. It will make the soil light. You have to use aeration tools for this process.

Avoid over-fertilization

Overfertilization can also cause root rot to your daisies. The roots of your daisies will exert pressure to extract water from the soil, and over-fertilization can cause the root to fade, making it difficult to absorb water. This will make the plant roots weak and vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Tips to keep your daisies thriving

Daisies need minimum care and attention for their healthy growth. Let us consider a few tips for the healthy growth of a daisy plant.

Lighting:

Six hours of minimum sunlight.
Direct sunlight throughout the day.
Plant daisies in a place with adequate sunlight.
Provide them some afternoon shade to avoid sunburn and drooping.
Use organic mulch to retain moisture during harsh summers.

Also read: How Much Light Do Daisies Need? (Daisy Sunlight Requirements)

Watering:

Apply 1-2 inches of water per week to the soil in the summer season.
Avoid watering your plant during the rainy season.
Apply water once a month during winters.
Maintain a proper watering schedule throughout the year as per the weather condition and season.
Check the soil before watering. If the topsoil feels dry, water immediately.