Overwatering kills houseplants. Watering plants is like loving them because it helps them flourish. Some plants don’t enjoy regular watering. Cacti, succulents, and sansevierias grow when watered seldom. These plants will perish if overwatered. Is overwatering a plant fatal?
Do overwatered plants die? Yes, and depending on how your plant is doing, there are numerous ways.
A few modest changes may fix your landscape. Overwatered plants may be salvaged and flourish if recognized. We’ve listed four symptoms to look for if your landscaping has too much water.
Symptoms of Overwater
Underwatering and overwatering symptoms often appear the same, so we’re here to help differentiate between the two. Find out whether your plant is suffering from any of the following symptoms of water stress by inspecting it.
- Wilting: Check the soil to see whether your plants are overwatered or underwatered; if they are, water them accordingly. It is overwatered if the soil is moist and underwatered if it is dry.
- Browning edges another symptom that might be either positive or negative. You can tell which one it is by touching a leaf that has begun to turn brown; if it has a brittle and light texture, it has been subjected to too much water. It is overwatered if it has a mushy and limp consistency.
- Yellowing leaves: Yellow leaves are a symptom of overwatering and are often followed by the death of new growth on the plant. On the other hand, lower leaves that are yellow and curling up might also be a symptom of underwatering. Determine which of these possibilities it is by observing the level of moisture in the soil.
- Foul odor from the soil: The stench of decaying roots emerging from the earth signifies the plant has been overwatered.
- Mould, mildew, and fungi: Fungal growth suggests overwatering.
- The slowed or halted growth: Your plant may be underwatered if it’s growing slowly or not.
- Crisp, brittle stems: If your plant’s stems are breaking or brittle, they may be underwatered.
- Stem mushy: Overwatering damages roots. Mushy, slimy black, grey, or brown roots suggest root rot.
- The planter’s soil is eroding from its sides: Under watering is indicated by this symptom.
- Leaves are thrown away: Check for additional signs and check the soil moisture if your plants are losing their leaves since this might be a sign of overwatering or under watering.
- Leaves with blisters: You may have overwatered if you detect growths or blisters on leaf undersides.
- Pests: Pests may indicate either over or under watering, depending on the pest. While pests like spider mites prefer dry circumstances, which may indicate overwatering, pests like fruit flies flourish in wet settings, which may show overwatering.
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How Can You Tell If You Are Overwatering a Plant and What Are the Consequences?
Unhealthy roots can’t feed the leaves, so they are yellow. Initial excess water may produce leaf burning and edema, but this rapidly gives place to water deficit as the roots fight to transport water and nutrients to the plant. Young leaf tips turn brown first in dryness.
Other leaves dry out and become papery and thin as a result. Under normal circumstances, a significant quantity of water is lost via the plant’s leaves. Thus many plants begin to curl their leaves or lose them to preserve water.
- Over-watering a plant would likely result in limp, drooping leaves rather than dry, crisp ones (a sign of too little water). Wet soil and wilting leaves typically indicate the presence of root rot, in which case the roots can no longer absorb water.
- If old and new leaves are falling off your plant, you may have given it too much water. Remember that the leaves that fall off can be green, brown, or yellow.
- You’ve given it too much water if the plant’s base feels soft or wobbly. Even worse, the soil can start to smell bad.
- Overwatering might result in brown patches or yellow haloes on the leaves, indicating bacterial illness.
- If you’ve overwatered your plants regularly, fungus and mold may develop straight on top of the soil. The appearance of fungus gnats may also detect Overwatering.
How to Avoid Over-Wetting Your Plants
It is possible to overwater a plant and cause it to suffocate due to a lack of oxygen in the soil, develop root rot and fungus, and be misinterpreted as insect damage. Your houseplants will thank you for this advice.
- First, Inspect the Soil: Check each plant’s soil before watering it. Feel for wetness with your finger approximately 2 inches down in each planter. Unless the soil is dry and light in color, avoid watering while it’s dark and damp. Most plants require water when the soil is both dry and light. Keep in mind that every plant is unique in terms of maintenance needs. Using an unfinished wooden chopstick to see whether the wood becomes wet is an alternative to using your fingertips to evaluate soil moisture. Still, a soil moisture gauge or meter may take the guessing out of watering!
- Refrain from Misting Leaves with Water: Mold may grow on leaves if water splashes too often, so be careful while watering. For Wally Eco’s, water directly from the base of your plant or the bottom of the plant in the Wally Eco’s watering channel behind the perforated divider.
- Water in the Daytime: Water your plants in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is out, and evaporating moisture is more accessible. To avoid rot and fungus, it is best to water during the daytime rather than at night.
- Drainage: Overwatering may be avoided by ensuring proper drainage. Root rot and other issues might occur if your planter cannot correctly remove excess rainwater from the soil.
- The perforated panels of the Wally Eco aid in water flow: Excess moisture may be evaporated thanks to the holes in the front of the planter and the rear divider naturally. However, overwatering is still possible. The bottom of the planter basket should be drilled with a tiny hole no more significant than 3/8″ to allow excess water to drain out.
- Using the ‘tongue’ flap, the felt panel at the rear of the pocket that wicks excess moisture up to the top of the pocket, where it evaporates, Wally Pro Pockets can drain excess water. Overwatering and saturation of the felt might make it difficult to dry out a pocket completely. When using Pro Pockets inside, we suggest using plastic sheeting to protect the walls behind it. You may also use a vacuum to remove excess moisture and mineral buildup from the front of the panel.
You’ve Overwatered Your Plants. What Should You Do?
It’s not too late to preserve your plant if you fear it’s been overwatered! Here’s how to save your plant from extinction.
- Get Rid of the Decaying Leaves: Remove any withering or dead leaves. Decomposing leaves may fall, decay, and attract pests, while the nutrient-sucking leaves steal from other parts of the plant.
- Roots and soil need to be refreshed: To see if a plant has root rot, dig down a little and look at the roots. If you find black, mushy roots where white, healthy roots should be, you will need to remove the root ball from the planter altogether, remove any dead or dying roots by hand, and replace the entire soil with dry, new soil after removing as much moist soil as you can from the roots. Spread the roots to make more air space, but not too much so oxygen can get to the roots.
- Fungicide: You can spray your plant with a fungicide if you see signs of fungus or root rot. Follow the bottle’s directions to get rid of mold or other fungi.
- Withhold watering and fertilizing for some time: Wait to water or fertilize your plant again until you’ve given it a fighting chance to live. Wait at least a week or more before beginning your plant care routine, and always check the soil for moisture before resuming your efforts.
How to Rejuvenate Overwatered Plants
Now that you’ve identified them, it’s time to restore health to your overwatered plants. If the damage isn’t severe, you may let your plant rest for a few weeks without watering it. Wait until the earth is parched on all sides before watering. If the soil is entirely dry, you can feel how much lighter the pot becomes when empty, and the plant will become highly delicate once you dip your finger or a wooden chopstick into the pot (the wood will darken when wet). You can also peek through a drainage hole to check for dryness.
More forceful watering is required if your plant exhibits all five symptoms of overwatering. We propose repotting the plant and clipping away all afflicted roots to save it. Waterlogged roots are dark brown or black, but healthy sources are brilliant white or yellow. With a pair of sharp gardening shears, carefully remove the plant from its container and gently remove any loose dirt. To prevent the spread of root disease, use an alcohol wipe between each cut. Use disinfecting soap and new potting soil if you repot the plant in the same container. You’ll know it’s done when you see water dripping from the drainage holes at the bottom.
Few steps to get your plant back.
- Your plant should be slipped out of the container with care.
- Examine the roots. Black/brown, frail, mushy, rotten roots may smell terrible. Healthy roots are dark or pale and firm.
- Remove rotting roots with sterile shears. After cutting, sanitize the shears to avoid spreading pests to neighboring plants.
- If root rot is diagnosed, remove all plant soil. Remove with your fingers and rinse.
- Dilute hydrogen peroxide and spray the roots. This harmlessly kills germs.
- Put your plant in a new container with well-draining soil and give it a fresh start.
- Learn what your plant prefers in terms of care and attempt to follow these guidelines. Moderate illumination is preferable to excessive or insufficient lighting while your plant recuperates.
Recuperation Time for Overwatered Plants:
Following the instructions, your overwatered plant should recover in 7 to 14 days. Repairs may take longer if there is severe damage. In most cases, if there are enough healthy roots, improvement may be seen within two weeks after starting the treatment.
Allow the soil to dry completely before watering again after repotting. Don’t make the same error as you did by overwatering the plant!
How to Prevent Overwatering Plants?
If you’ve learned how to repair overwatered plants, what steps can you take to prevent the same mistake in the future? Here are a few pointers!
- Too little is preferable to overkill. You should never overwater a young plant unless you know how much water it prefers. Overwatering is a more severe problem for houseplants than underwatering.
- Be cautious in the fall. As the days become shorter in fall, the development of plants slows. The outcome is a reduction in the number of water plants need. Indoor humidity levels also tend to be lower in the autumn, which reduces the amount of water required.
- Increase your watering in the winter. In the winter, when humidity levels are lower, you may safely increase the water you give your plants.
- Water is coming from the bottom. To avoid overwatering your plants, try to water them from the bottom rather than the top. Using a saucer or tray, douse the water. Afterward, remove the plant from the water and let it dry. After that, take the plant out of the pot and discard it. A plant should not be left in water for more than 30 minutes.
- The soil should be dried before watering. Unless your plant’s care guide specifies that it should be kept wet at all times, you should only water it when the soil on the top feels dry to the touch. You should only water your plant if the mud on the tip of your finger feels dry to the first knuckle if it loves to dry out between watering.
- Stay away from plants that need a lot of water. To prevent overwatering, stay away from houseplants that demand a constant moisture supply. Instead, choose plants that can tolerate drying in your indoor garden so that you are less inclined to water it often.
Houseplants typically need the most water during the hottest months of the year, but be sure to verify the particular care needs of your plants. You’ll never have to wonder how to repair overwatered plants again if you follow these tips and get to know your plants.