Question
My friend gave me a huge dessert rose but some of the roots are mushy, can I pull it out of the pot and cut them? The arms of the plant are soft but the trunk is still hard. I think it can be ssaved. But I didn't know if I can cut the roots!

Answer
Hi Beth,

In cases of root rot (which might be the case with your plant), root pruning is sometimes effective, especially if caught early enough. I only a few roots are involved, you may be able to save the plant. Have a solution of 10% bleach on hand in which to disinfect the roots of bacteria and fungal spores.  Use this bleach solution between cuts so that any pathogens are not transferred to the newly cut tissues.  

Note that this is a radical treatment and may not be effective.  However, doing nothing is likely to result in a fatality.  You must remove the soil from around the roots.  Prune away any roots that appear to be mushy, and prune away additional root tissue until you see a creamy white root system.  Once all of the unhealthy tissue is removed, place the entire root system into the bleach solution for no more than one minute.  Follow with two, five-minute rinses of clean tap water. Allow the roots to air dry (very important--this allows the cut roots to develop callous tissue which seals the plant to microbes. During this time, you may cover he aerial parts with damp paper towels or newspapers to maintain moisture.  If worried about excess water loss, then cover the toweling with a black trash bag.  Make sure that you do not place the plant in direct sun during this process as the heat will build up beneath the plastic, and the plant will cook.  

When root pruning, it is advisable to also prune to aerial parts of the plant to reduce transpiration.  In cases of severe root pruning, you may need to reduce the aerial parts by as much as one-half or more.

Good Luck.