When you choose to be a plant parent and decorate your yard with gorgeous vegetation, then you have to be prepared to really work for the health and success of your garden. Plants are just like kids or pets — you have to nurture, feed, and water them, and make sure that you tailor your care for them based on their individual special needs. And just like children and animals, plants also get sick. One common reason for the death of your plants is root rot.
A lot of plant owners find that their plants sometimes die en masse and struggle to figure out the reason why. A few common mistakes that they make are planting their garden in a soil bed that lacks proper drainage and overwatering the plants. This leads to the soil becoming waterlogged and the roots rotting. If you notice your plant leaves are becoming yellowish, brownish, or generally pale, or if they look wilted and are not growing as fast as they should, then this could be a sign that not all is well with your roots. Fortunately, there is a clever hack that will ensure that rotting roots are a thing of the past in your garden, and all it will take is one handy item — cornstarch — that you can find in your house.
Dust some cornstarch in your garden to prevent root rot
Dealing with root rot has to be done intentionally and quickly because it is the bane of many a garden. Rot can be a slow or quick killer and, because some of its symptoms are shared with other diseases, it can easily be misdiagnosed. The good news is that you can reach into your supply closet for a household staple that can soak up some excess water: cornstarch (or even cornstarch-based baby powder).
Whether you use cornstarch in cooking, have a newborn, or just like to use baby powder sometimes, it should be fairly simple to secure the needed powder for this hack. Also, all you will need is just a few sprinkles of cornstarch or cornstarch-based baby powder, per DIY Everywhere. First, dig up a hole around the plant that will give you enough access to the roots. Then, sprinkle some of the cornstarch directly into it to soak up the moisture. If you have new vegetation that is yet to be transferred into the ground, then you can even cover the roots in powder before planting it.
Rotting roots can devastate your garden, but it’s not always the end of the world. Avoid the mistake of overwatering your plants and inspect the roots if you live in an area with questionable soil drainage. You know that your plants are done for if all of the roots are mushy. If there are still some salvageable roots on your plant, then run to your pantry right now and grab a box of cornstarch.
