Excessive watering in plants: Symptoms and ways to deal with them

Did we water a plant too much?
What symptoms indicate that our plant receives excessive watering?
Watering is a basic care that all plants need and is the most frequent cause of problems, especially in indoor plants and in potted plants in the yard 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.

So, we often water our plants without needing them or add a larger amount of water as a result of which characteristic symptoms appear that indicate that our plants are suffering.

Every plant has different water needs. Watering is adjusted accordingly growth of the plant, how hot the environment is, how much light it receives and in what soil has been planted.

Excessive soil moisture is enhanced by poor soil drainage and reduced aeration.

These conditions are more pronounced in pots and caspo where there are no holes in the base to remove the water.

In today’s article, we will see what symptoms overwatering plants cause, as well as useful tips to save and keep them in good condition.

What problems does overwatering create for plants?

Excessive watering can occasionally cause negative symptoms in our garden and balcony plants:

1. Watering causes root scavenging Excessive soil moisture creates plant root rots due to various fungal and bacterial infections illnesses. The problem in the roots gradually appears with different symptoms in the leaves and plant growth
2. Excessive watering shows black spots on the leaves Excess water in the soil can cause characteristic browning in the inner part of the leaves or blackening in the form of spots, resulting in reduced photosynthetic activity and the plant becoming weak.
3. Excessive watering causes them to turn yellow. A characteristic symptom of excessive moisture in the soil is the appearance of yellow leaves. It is worth noting that yellow leaves on plants should not worry us when they appear on lower leaves which are signs of ripening and are a normal process for the formation of new leaves as the plant grows.
4. Excessive watering causes the leaves to fall If we water our plants more than normal it is very likely that we will gradually see the specific leaves fall. The phenomenon is more pronounced in a specific indoor plant such as the benjamin fig.
5. Excessive watering causes stunted growth of the plant In conditions of excessive moisture in the soil, plants show problematic growth and reduced appearance of new leaves. If we notice problems in the growth of the plant, it is possible that it develops in excessive watering.
6. Overwatering Causes Flower Drop Overwatering can cause some plants to fail to produce flowers. In particular, during the flowering period, the strong vegetative sensation in the soil results in the flowers ripening too quickly and falling or rotting on the house.

How to save a potted plant that has been watered

If we watered a potted plant too much, we will gradually notice the characteristic signs of excessive watering making their appearance. The more we continue to water, 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 overwatering:

• Stop watering immediately and move the pot to a relatively warm semi-shaded spot to allow the soil to gradually dry out and prevent the plant’s roots from rotting.
• If our pot does not have holes, we immediately open holes to drain the excess water from the excessive watering we did in the pot.
• When the soil in the pot remains moist and does not dry out, we transplant the plant into another pot, a little larger using new potting soil without moisture.
• When transplanting, check if root rot has appeared and remove carefully the rotten parts of the root with a pruner.
• After transplanting, we water the plants with copper to disinfect the root system and protect against fungal diseases.

How do we avoid watering the plants more than they need?

To avoid over watering and creating problems for his plants of our garden and balcony, we must follow the following steps for the right one watering:

• We repeat watering the plants when the soil begins to dry or is dry.
• We regularly water frequently in the summer season when the plants need it due to high temperatures, while in the winter season we dilute the waterings as the speed of the water decreases.
• We choose an automatic drip irrigation system that has a programmer to make our plants more stable and efficient.
• We use pots with holes and saucers for the plants of our balcony and house to drain the watering water.
• We empty the excess water from the saucer of the pot, a few hours after watering as otherwise the soil of the pot creates excessive moisture.
• We improve the soil of the ground or the pot with suitable soil improvement materials that help water drainage and soil aeration, such as perlite, pumice, zeolite and attapulgite.

And a secret about excessive watering

To avoid over-watering the garden, especially when it rains, we choose a scheduler with a rain sensor that stops watering when it starts to rain.