Bacterial soft rot is one of the common issues in Jade plants.
And it needs to be addressed quickly, as it can cause significant damage to other plants in your indoor garden too.
So, what is this issue, and how do you fix it completely?
Let's find out in the following guide.
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What Is Bacterial Soft Rot In A Jade Plant?
As the name says, Bacterial Soft Rot is caused by a typical bacteria called Erwinia.
When the plant gets affected by this issue, the bacteria start feeding on all parts of the Jade plant.
And when the rot spreads all over, the plant starts wilting and droops eventually.
It is a lethal problem in plants like the Jade plant, and you need to act upon it quickly.
Also, you need to understand the fact that there is no permanent solution to fix this problem.
It can only be managed by some of the best gardening practices.
In the next section, I have shared a few tips that might help in controlling this issue in your Jade plant.
How To Fix Bacterial Soft Rot In A Jade Plant
Let's look at the methods and practices through which you can manage the soft rot issue -
1. Inspect Your Jade Plant Thoroughly
This is the first thing you should do when you feel there is some issue with the plant.
When the leaves start drooping and the stem feels soft, you must examine the plant.
It will give you an idea about the possible cause of this issue.
And if it's the bacterial soft rot problem, you can make use of some of the suggestions shared in this guide below.
2. Isolate The Plant
Once you realize the problem, you must isolate the plant from other plants.
It's an essential step in managing the bacterial problem.
So, firstly, isolate the plant and take it far away from your main garden.
If you have kept the plant in the bedroom, you can move it to another room.
Now, you must be wondering why this step is so important.
Well, the reason lies in the problem itself.
It spreads quickly and affects other plants in the garden.
Apart from that, you can't fix the problem at all.
Therefore, it makes sense to work on some of the preventive tasks.
3. Remove The Parts Affected By Bacterial Soft Rot
Since you can only control the problem, you should remove the affected parts as early as possible.
If bacterial damage is visible on the leaves and some branches, you can simply prune them off the plant.
Also, make sure you dispose of them properly.
If you keep them lying on the soil, the bacteria will come back and damage the plant in no time.
And there will always be a probability of spreading it in other indoor plants.
Hence, you must put them in the bin safely instead of throwing them somewhere in the open, especially in your garden.
4. Transplant The Jade Plant
As soon as you remove the affected leaves and branches, you can transplant the plant into a new pot.
This will allow you to provide better conditions for such a plant.
The new growing medium and dry surface area will help in keeping any such problem at bay.
The nutrients present in the fresh soil will also boost your plant's growth.
Therefore, it is an important step in managing the bacterial soft rot problem in the Jade plant.
5. Discard The Soil
Like the affected parts, you should also safely discard the old soil.
Even if you feel like using the same soil for other plants, do not use it.
The same soil might have soft rot bacteria in it, which can potentially affect the new plants as well.
And once the issue spreads in the garden, you will have no other option than to get rid of all the plants.
So, be careful when you deal with this type of issue.
The damage on the Jade plant may look smaller in the beginning, but it can spread quickly.
6. Increase Airflow In Your Plant's Room
Generally, these issues arrive from wet conditions.
Bacteria and fungi often thrive in such conditions.
And if you are living in humid weather, it will make things even better for them to grow rapidly.
Once you transplant the plant, move it to a place with better ventilation.
When the plant gets enough airflow, its surface area dries out quickly.
And that's what you should aim for while managing the bacterial soft rot problem.
These bacteria don't grow well on dry surfaces.
Furthermore, it also stops the spread from one plant to another one.
So, keep your plant and soil surface dry!
7. Provide Enough Sunlight To Your Jade Plant
Airflow is not the only requirement to deal with this issue.
Like wet conditions, these bacteria grow rapidly in shady and low-light places.
If you can put the Jade plant's container in direct sunlight, it will prevent the growth of this bacteria.
As the plant gets stronger, it should be able to deal with the problem.
8. Do Not Overwater Your Plant
Lastly, you will have to water your affected plant sparingly.
The Jade plant is a succulent houseplant, and it doesn't need a lot of water for its growth.
So, do not overwater your plant.
If you do, the bacterial soft rot will spread to all parts of your plant.
And the plant will not survive at all.
If you want to save your plant, you should use only water when you see signs of underwatering.
Do not mist the plant either.
If you have a habit of misting your plants in the morning or evening, you should stop it immediately.
It will cause even more damage to the plant as the bacteria thrive in wet conditions.
In the next section, you will find some of the answers to commonly asked queries.
Do check them out if you have any related questions.
FAQs
The best way to save a rotting Jade plant is to stop watering it entirely.
When you overwater the plant, it sends an invitation to all sorts of issues, including fungus and bacteria.
And as I mentioned in the guide earlier, these elements grow rapidly in this condition.
So, the first plan of action should be to limit watering frequency.
Other than that, you can spray some fungicide on the plant.
It will control the overall spread of the problem.
Finally, you should repot the plant.
That's all there is to fix this problem!
If the plant is wilting and leaves look dull for no reason, your Jade plant might be having a root rot issue.
You can confirm this issue by uprooting the plant from its container.
Remove the plant from the pot and see if the roots look damaged or dead.
If there are too many dark leaves underneath, it's a good indication of root rot.
Also, the soil will be wet when you look at the roots from the bottom.
This is another sign of the same problem in plants.
If your Jade plant is overwatered, you should transplant it.
That's the most reliable way to fix this problem.
If you don't have another pot, you can just replace the soil in the same pot.
The most important task here is to provide a dry growing medium to the plant.
If you can do it somehow, you should be able to control the issue entirely.
Yes, you can save a dying Jade plant, but it all depends on the intensity of the damage.
If most of the branches and leaves have already started drooping, you can't do much about it.
And in such cases, you should get rid of the affected plant.
The Jade plant doesn't drop leaves unless there is something wrong with the plant.
In most cases, the problem will be related to underwatering or overwatering.
Both these issues can cause the plant to drop its leaves at some point.
Other than that, the plant may also drop its leaves if it has completed its life cycle.
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