Corn plant has root rot.can I grow from a cutting?

My Dad has had it for just over 2 years, and he kept it moist. It's soil had a white discoloration on the surface, and when I dumped the pot out, the soil was thick and clumped. The roots were very short and thin, about 2 inches long on a plant that's about 3 feet tall. The worst part is that the lower part of the stalk is VERY soft. The outer part of the stalk will litterally fall off, and it feels soft all the way up the stalk. It's leaves fell off over the summer, but it does have a few inches of green growth on the top of the rotted stalk. On the top of the green is 2 leaves, about 1 inch long each.Can I propagate this plant from a cutting of the green part off the top? I know that normally you should use the cane part, but it's rotted from the roots up. This week the lower part of the green top has started to turn black, where it meets the cane.Any ideas on how to save it, or where I can find another plant this size is appreciated.It was from his Dad's funeral, it's hard 2 let go.

Corn plant has root rot.can I grow from a cutting?
It seems that it was kept too moist and was not allowed to breath (identified via the short/thin roots, etc), which is a good medium for fungal growth.





Usually in such an advanced stage of rot, you cannot create viable cuttings from it. The fungal infection has already reached the tips, but it has yet to effectively kill the entire plant.





If you wish make as many cuttings as you can and provide an appropriate medium that provides good airation. Keep the cutting as far from each other as possible to prevent the transmission of the fungus to the others. It is essential that you provide perfect conditions for the cuttings (ie conditions that are native to the plant).





Good luck.





N.R.
Reply:The corn plant is a grass. You can propagate it from cuttings; the cane stem if its healthy.





Cane Cuttings





Cane cuttings provide an easy way to propagate some overgrown, leggy house plants such as dumbcane, corn plant, Chinese evergreen, and other plants with thick stems. Leafless stem sections (2 to 3 inches long) are cut from older stems. Each cane should have one or two nodes (Figure 5). Lay the cutting horizontally on the medium, or insert it vertically with about half of the cutting below the surface of the medium, and leave a bud facing upward. Cane cuttings are usually potted when roots and new shoots appear.
Reply:Usually I would say yes you can..but not in this case the fungi has already reached totally throughout the plant...It will not grow due to this
Reply:Maybe, why don't you just try?
Reply:It is extremely doubtful. The fungus or virus (more likely from the sounds of the symptoms) has already flowed through the entire plant. Any cutting you do get started is apt to do okay for a bit then you'll have the same problem.


In any case the pot that your plant is/was in needs to be thoroughly cleaned or it could infect anything else you put in it.