Planning on making an indoor herb garden in your kitchen for access to fresh herbs? Don’t forget to invest in the right planters and clear plant saucers! These are important for helping prevent root rot and keeping your herbs healthy.
Drainage and Clear Plant Saucers to Help Prevent Root Rot
Growing herbs in your kitchen is a great way to upgrade your meals with the freshest herbs. Also, growing herbs indoors is actually pretty simple. However, many people don’t realize how important drainage is for your herbs. Luckily, choosing the right planters and using clear plant saucers can help improve drainage for your herb garden.
Many people know the dangers of underwatering, but overwatering can be just as bad for plants. Overwatering and a lack of drainage can lead to many issues for your plants and herbs, including root rot.
Root rot happens when the roots of your herbs can’t get enough oxygen. This can also lead to fungal growth around the roots, which can make the herbs sick. The fungi can even spread to your other plants through airborne spores.
However, there are ways to prevent root rot! Most of the time, root rot happens because of standing water near the roots of your herbs. Therefore, it’s important to make sure your planters have plenty of drainage. Drainage holes allow extra water to flow out and away from the roots so they are less likely to rot.
Yet, you don’t want a water damaged table or window sill from water drainage! This can cause a lot of issues, like water damage or stains. It can even lead to rotting wood or drywall on the window sill itself! Instead, use clear plant saucers to catch the extra water and help protect your home.
Now, it’s important to note that clay saucers are porous, which means they may let some water pass through to your window sill. That’s why most people choose plastic clear plant saucers for their indoor herb gardens, to help stop water damage in its tracks for your home.
What to do for Root Rot on your Herbs?
So, what happens if you discover root rot on your herbs? First, you’ll need to know the signs. In most cases, herb roots will be firm and white. Root rot will turn the roots brown and soggy. If caught in time, you may be able to re-pot the plant. You’ll need to rinse off as much of the old soil as possible to help get rid of any bacteria and fungi that might be making the plant sick. You’ll also need new planters and clear plant saucers for replanting. Using the same ones can let the infection spread and kill the plant.
Now, if the herbs are too far gone, you might be wondering what to do. If you can’t save the plant, it’s time to throw it out and maybe start a new one from the cuttings or new seeds.
You might also be wondering if it’s dangerous for your health. In most cases, sick plants won’t make you sick unless you have underlying conditions or a weak immune system. However, if your herbs have suffered from root rot, they typically will have a different taste and texture from healthy herbs, so it’s likely not even worth the risk of trying to use them for cooking. It’s often better to be safe than sorry, as root rot is often accompanied by fungal and bacterial growth in the soil.
If you need to start your herb garden over again, make sure you invest in the right planters, the right saucers, and consider how much you should be watering to help keep root rot at bay.
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