How to Treat Fungus on a Houseplant

Houseplants are not immune to the many fungal diseases that inflict outdoor plants. In fact, houseplants often contract a fungal disease due to improper care such as excessive watering. Diseases such as powdery mildew, root rot and leaf spot cause a host of problems for houseplants. Certain fungal diseases can spread to other houseplants if left untreated. To reduce the risk of houseplants contracting a disease, isolate new plants for several weeks to ensure that they are not bringing in a disease.

Bypass shears
Potting soil
Pot
Pea gravel
Saucer
Denatured alcohol
Wettable sulfur fungicide
Spray bottle
Plastic bag

Instructions

- 1
  Lift the houseplant out of the soil to inspect its roots for signs of root rot. Root rot symptoms consist of browning leaves, wilting foliage and discolored roots. Roots infected with root rot appear brown, black and mushy. Prune off diseased portions of the plant.
- 2
  Repot the houseplant in sterilized potting soil. Avoid using the dirt from your yard, which may be contaminated with insects or fungi. Place the house plant in the potting medium and pack soil around the base of the plant. Set the plant in a saucer filled with a 1/2-inch layer of pea gravel to help with drainage.
- 3
  Prune off diseased foliage caused by leaf spot or powdery mildew. Dip the pruning tool into a mixture of 70 percent denatured alcohol and 30 percent water to prevent spreading fungal diseases.
- 4
  Mix 3 tablespoons of wettable fungicide that contains sulfur with 1 gallon of water or the amount of fungicide indicated on the directions. Pour the fungicide mixture into a spray bottle.
- 5
  Spray the plant's foliage with the fungicide mixture. Focus the spray on the tops and bottoms of leaves. Reapply in two weeks.

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