Do we water a plant too much? What symptoms indicate that our plant receives excessive watering? In this article we will see what symptoms excessive watering of plants causes, as well as useful tips to save them and keep them in good condition.
Watering is a basic care that all plants need and is the most common cause of problems, especially for indoor plants and plants that we have in pots in the garden and on the balcony.
Excessive watering is usually the result of incorrect care that we initially think will help the best growth of a plant. Thus, many times we water our plants without them needing it or we add a greater amount of water, which is why characteristic symptoms appear that indicate that our plants are suffering.
Every plant has different water needs.
He watering adjusts according to plant growth, how hot the environment is, how much light it receives and in what soil it is planted. Excessive soil moisture is enhanced by poor soil drainage and reduced aeration.
These conditions are more pronounced in pots where there are no holes in the base to drain water.
What problems does overwatering create for plants?
Sometimes, excessive watering can cause the following negative symptoms in our garden and balcony plants:
1. Overwatering Causes Root Rot
Excess moisture in the soil creates rot in the roots of plants due to the attack of various fungal and bacterial diseases. The root problem appears gradually with different symptoms on the leaves and in the general growth of the plant.
2. Excessive watering causes black spots on the leaves
Excess water in the soil can cause a characteristic browning of the inner part of the leaves or a blackening in the form of spots, due to which the photosynthetic activity decreases and the plant weakens.
3. Yellower leaves
Excessive watering causes the leaves to turn yellow. A characteristic symptom of excess moisture in the soil is the appearance of yellow leaves.
It is worth noting that yellow leaves on plants should not be a concern when they appear on the lower leaves, which is a sign of maturation and is a normal process for the formation of new leaves as the plant grows.
4. Overwatering Causes Leaves to Drop
If we water our plants more than normal, it is very likely that little by little we will see some leaves fall. The phenomenon is more pronounced in some indoor plants.
5. Excessive watering causes a delay in the growth of the plant
In conditions of excessive humidity in the ground, the plants show a problematic growth and a reduction in the appearance of new leaves.
If we notice problems in the growth of the plant, it is probably due to excessive watering.
How to save an overwatered potted plant
If we have watered a potted plant too much, little by little we will notice the appearance of some of the characteristic signs of excess watering.
The more we keep watering, the more intense the symptoms become. Before the problem goes further, we must take concrete measures to save our plant.
To address problems caused by excess water: Stop watering immediately and move the pot to a relatively warm, semi-shady location. to gradually dry out the soil and prevent the roots of the plant from rotting.
If our pot does not have holes, we immediately open holes to drain excess water from overwatering that we did in the pot.
When the soil in the pot remains moist and does not dry out, we transplant the plant into another slightly larger pot using new soil without moisture. When transplanting, we check whether root rot has appeared and carefully remove the rotten parts of the root with a pruner.
After transplanting, we water the plants with copper to ensure disinfection of the root system and protection against fungal diseases.