Question
QUESTION: I had written a question that was answered by John Crawley. He thought the cut-back stem that turned black and mushy on my schefflera had root rot. I pulled that one out (it came right out) but the other three stalks that I thought were healthy are now starting to turn a light brown at the bottom. Does that mean these probably have root rot also? They look perfectly healthy except for this. Thanks!

ANSWER: Most likely so.  Fungi grow from one plant part to another.  If they are not wilting yet I would get some Daconil fungicide and mix a 2% solution and pour in the pot.  Do not water the plant any more than it needs to keep it alive for a while.  Fungi like wet conditions.  It may be a losing battle but you can try this and see.  You should see some results (one way or the other) within a week or two.  Good Luck.

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QUESTION: I went to the store where I bought the plant and all of them have a light brown color at the bottom of the stalks so maybe that's just the way it grows. Anyway, John had said to take it out of the pot, check the roots and repot with new soil. Should I do that or try the Daconil first? Can you tell me what I should be looking for as a sign that the rest of the stalks are getting root rot? Like I said, the other stalks still look healthy but I don't want to wait until it's too late to find out I should have done something. Thanks again from someone who knows nothing about plants!

Answer
The way to check for root and crown rot is to take your fingernail and scrape the brown area of the lower stem gently.  If the plant tissue sloughs off easily and seems damp, it may be a crown rot.  Secondly, if you can dig into the pot and retrieve a few pieces of root tissue, observe the color.  They should be white to cream colored and not dark brown.  Dark brown roots are a sign of root rot, especially if some of the tissue is white with brown lesions in some areas.  Thirdly, take a piece of the root tissue in between your thumb and finger and grasp the root gently.  Pull on the root tissue and if the outer layer (cortex) comes off when you pull it, leaving a thin white central core (steele), then I would say the plant does have a root rot.  The daconil would be the treatment of choice.  If you do not find any of these conditions, it may be normal growth, especially if the plant is fairly large or has some age to it, as the lower stem would be woody and most likely have a dark brown or tan appearance.  I would re-pot the plant only if it appears root bound.   This can be determined by pulling the entire plant out of the pot and looking for roots growing all the way to the pots edge and even taking on a circular growth pattern in the bottom of the pot.  Pulling the plant out of the pot should not hurt anything if you are careful when doing so.  This would allow for close inspection of the root system.  If the root system is very thin and sparse, I would not re-pot the plant and watch the amount of water you give the plant.  Many store bought plants have thin root systems and when you get it home in a different environment, it may not have enough root system to sustain normal growth.  If this seems the case, you may put the plant in an area with moderate light and do not overwater. Fertilize with a light dose of Osmocote (14-14-14) for houseplants and just wait for better plant growth.  I hope this will help you determine what is going on.  Sometimes it may be better to just leave the plant alone and wait to see what happens.  Let me know if this does not seem to be the case.  Good Luck.