Pocket Botanist
Check these first
- Smell the soil for a musty or rotten odor.
- Check if the pot or ground area has standing water.
- Gently dig near the roots to see if they are brown and mushy instead of firm and white.
Likely causes
Poor drainage
Most likelyHow to tell: The soil smells sour and the leaves turn yellow and wilt despite being wet.
What to do: Improve soil drainage by adding compost or grit to the surrounding earth. If in a pot, ensure there are large drainage holes at the bottom.
Overwatering
PossibleHow to tell: The base of the stem feels soft or mushy to the touch.
What to do: Stop watering until the top 2 inches of soil are dry. Adjust your schedule to water every 5 to 10 days depending on local weather.
Find out what's wrong with your redcurrant
The list above covers the usual causes. Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your actual plant and tells you the likely cause, how serious it is, and what to try first. Identification and a health check are free.
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When to worry
If the stem base is mushy or the plant is collapsing, it is likely too late to save. If only a few roots are affected, you can save it by correcting the moisture.
Stopping it coming back
Ensure the soil is well draining and never leave the plant sitting in a saucer of water.
Keep your redcurrant healthy from here
Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked. Identification and a health check are free.
Questions people ask
- Can I save a plant with root rot?
- If caught early, you can prune away the dead roots and repot in fresh, dry soil. If the rot has reached the main stem, the plant will likely not survive.
- How often should I water to avoid rot?
- Check the soil every 5 days. Only water if the top 2 inches feel dry to the touch.
More problems with Redcurrant
- Why are my redcurrant leaves curling?
- Why are there spots on my redcurrant leaves?
- Why are there bugs on my redcurrant bush?
- Why are my redcurrant leaves turning yellow?
- Why are the tips of my redcurrant leaves turning brown?
- Why is my redcurrant bush drooping?
- Why is my redcurrant losing its leaves?
- Why is my redcurrant not producing flowers?
- Why is my redcurrant bush growing so leggy?
This article was generated with AI from the plant’s care profile and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.