6 Signs You Are Overwatering Your Plants

Overwatering is hard to spot because the plant often looks thirsty. Roots need oxygen as well as water. In healthy soil the spaces between particles hold a mix of both. When soil stays saturated, water fills those spaces, the fine roots that do most of the absorbing begin to die, and the plant loses its ability to take up water even though it is standing in it. The University of Maryland Extension puts it plainly: excess water reduces oxygen in the soil and damages fine roots, so an overwatered plant can show the same symptoms as one in drought.

1. Wilting while the soil is wet

This is the clearest sign. If leaves hang limp in the afternoon and the soil an inch or two down is still damp, more water will not help. A plant that wilts in wet soil and stays that way has a root problem.

2. Yellowing lower and inner leaves

Older leaves near the base and in the center of the plant turn yellow first, and new growth slows or stops. Damaged roots cannot supply nitrogen, so the plant draws it from older leaves.

3. Brown leaves that feel soft

Both drought and excess water turn leaves brown, but the texture differs. Leaves that are short of water turn brown and crisp, and they crumble when rubbed. Leaves on an overwatered plant tend to be limp and soft, and the browning may spread from the tips and edges in dark, water-soaked patches. Brown tips alone can also come from salt buildup, so look at the soil before deciding.

4. Blisters on the leaf undersides

Edema is a disorder that appears when roots take in water faster than the leaves can release it. Cells in the leaf swell and burst, leaving small blisters, mostly on the underside, that later turn into tan or brown corky bumps. Wet soil, humid air and low light make it more likely.

5. Leaves and buds dropping together

Leaf drop happens with both too much and too little water. When young and old leaves fall at the same time and flower buds turn brown or drop without opening, excess water is the more likely cause.

6. Rot at the roots and crown

Lift a struggling plant from its pot, or dig gently at the edge of a shrub’s roots. Healthy roots are firm and pale. Roots that are brown or black, mushy, and slip their outer skin when pulled are rotting. A sour smell and fungus gnats point the same way.

How to correct it

Check before you water. Push a finger or a wooden dowel into the soil, or read a soil moisture sensor; if soil clings to the dowel or it comes out dark and cool, wait. Lift pots to learn how much lighter they feel when dry, and empty saucers so roots never sit in standing water. Pots without drainage holes and heavy clay beds need the most care. In beds, find out how long the timer runs and how often, then cut the frequency first, letting the top few inches dry between waterings. A plant with partly rotted roots can recover once the soil dries enough to breathe.