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Signs You’re Watering Your Lawn, Bushes, and Trees Too Often
Written by Kelsey W.
Everyone knows plants need regular watering, but it’s easy to go overboard and give plants too much water when we become worried about their welfare. Are they getting enough water in hot weather? Are they getting enough water during dry conditions? Are they getting thirsty between their visits with the watering can?
Unfortunately, too much enthusiasm for watering your plants may actually lead to the plant experiencing some difficulties. Even though you might think more water is always a good thing and that you can never water too much, there does come a point where plants will reject your efforts and start to wither away because of the overabundance of water.
The difficulty in watering plants at the correct interval usually comes from a lack of understanding that different plants require different watering schedules. Cacti usually need less water than houseplants, but sometimes even cacti need more water due to weather conditions. Watering requirements get even more complicated when you’re trying to take care of different plants inside your home and out that have different watering needs.
Let’s learn a little about the watering needs of different plants, as well as some common signs that you’re getting a little too friendly with the watering can.
Signs of Overwatering in Houseplants
Yellowing Leaves
Plants that get too little water, as well as plants that are overwatered, can start to become brown and wilted. But the underwatered plant will feel crinkly (like it doesn’t have any water in it) while the overwatered plant will feel moist and droopy.
In addition to droopy, brown leaves, the plant’s leaves may start to turn yellow. In fact, yellowing leaves might be the first sign that you’re watering your plant too much. Those yellow leaves may eventually turn brown and fall off the plant if you continue to water it too much.
The reason leaves turn yellow on a plant is that the soil is so wet that the plant can no longer absorb water from the soil. It’s so overloaded with water that the roots are literally drowning and can no longer take in water as they would under normal conditions.
Dropping Leaves
Another sign that you’re watering your plant too much is when it starts to drop more leaves than you’d expect. While an underwatered plant’s leaves may turn brown and eventually wither away, an overwatered plant may just start to drop its biggest and healthiest leaves. Some plants that only rarely drop leaves, like ZZ plants and snake plants, may start to drop leaves in suspicious numbers when you water them too much.
Most plants will eventually shed some leaves and grow new ones, but an overwatered plant may shed a surprising number of leaves, as well as fail to grow any new leaves. If the plant isn’t looking dry and crinkly and is instead dropping any and all of its leaves, there’s a chance it’s getting too much water.
Dropping a brown leaf here and there is expected, but dropping green leaves should be an immediate sign for worry. Sometimes a plant might drop healthy leaves when it’s not getting enough light, but it will more often try to bend toward available light before dropping leaves.
Brown Spotted Leaves
The leaves on your plant might not turn completely brown or yellow. Instead, you might notice brown spots appear on various edges of the plant. Brown spots that seem to grow or that are encircled by yellow are actually an infection that occurs when you water the plant too much.
Sometimes, these brown spots are the result of a fungal infection, and you may need to treat the plant with an antifungal product if the infection is very severe. However, in mild cases or if you catch the problem early, you can usually just remove the problematic leaves and prevent it from spreading.
In addition to reducing the amount of water you give the plant, you may also want to improve the air circulation around the plant. Thinning the leaves out can have this effect, and you can also change the position of the plant so it’s near a breeze of some sort or near an open area.
Mushy Stems
At the base of your plant, you may start to notice that the stem has started to become mushy or discolored. In severe cases, the plant might topple over because of the rot that is occurring at the base of the stem. The mushy appearance may start to travel upward and soon impact the entire plant.
A mushy stem can also occur when the plant is stressed and experiences bouts of extreme heat or cold, as well as when the plant is experiencing root rot. However, if your plant hasn’t been in any severe conditions and has been inside, it’s more likely a watering problem than a heat or cold problem.
The severity of the overwatering might require that you completely repot the plant in new, fresh, and well-draining soil, as well as adopt a better watering schedule for it. If the plant is left to remain in its soggy soil for too long, the mushy stem might become so severe that it kills the plant.
Moldy Soil
The first sign of overwatering might not be apparent on the plant itself. Instead, you may notice changes to the quality of the soil. If you water the soil too much and it doesn’t have a chance to dry out between waterings, it may become saturated and vulnerable to fungus or mold growth.
It’s worth noting that moldy soil may occur because of overwatering, but it may also happen when the soil isn’t draining properly. You might actually have a great watering schedule, but if the soil isn’t the right type for the plant or it’s not draining correctly, the soil might develop fungus or mold.
Fungus and mold will often appear right on the top of the soil, so it’s easy to tell when this occurs. Depending on the severity of the mold or fungus growth, you may need to repot the entire plant in new soil, or you might be able to remove the tainted soil from the pot.
Preventing Overwatering
You can take steps to avoid overwatering by taking specific steps when you first put your plants into the ground or place them in pots. Choosing the right soil has a lot to do with whether your plants might eventually get waterlogged, but so does the frequency of watering and the placement of the plants.
After you’ve followed the advice for soil type and placement of your plant, here are the steps you can take to make sure you’re watering on the right schedule.
1. Give pots big drinks
Try to give your plants a good, solid drink that really wets the soil, and then wait until the soil has become reasonably dry again before watering. Don’t let it get bone dry, but let it get to the recommended moisture level before watering again.
Tip: If you let the soil get too parched, all the water you give the plant will just run right through. On the other hand, if you water too often, the soil will just become waterlogged and develop mold or fungus.
2. Don’t get too hung up on schedules
It’s helpful to have a schedule for watering your plants, but don’t be afraid to change that schedule when the need arises. If SoCal experiences a few days of rain, don’t give the flower bed extra water. Let them dry out a little before you return with the watering can.
Having a set schedule for watering your plants can help you remember to water them, especially when you set a reminder on your phone. However, you may need to occasionally adjust that schedule based on weather conditions and humidity levels.
3. Water plants in the morning
Watering plants in the morning allows them to use that water throughout the day when they get thirsty and the sun is shining, but watering them too late in the day may lead to some evaporation and water waste. The key is watering early in the morning to avoid the sun’s evaporative effects.
Watering during the middle of the day can also lead to burning of the leaves if any of the water accidentally splashes onto the leaves, even though you’re aiming at the root level. In most cases, early morning watering is the most efficient use of water and the best way to hydrate plants.
4. Make sure your pots have drainage
Fancy pots you might select for your plant to make it look beautiful may not have drainage holes, so you might want to layer up and place your houseplant in a regular nursery pot with holes in it, and then put that pot inside a fancy pot that doesn’t have holes.
Depending on the material from which the pot is made, you can also cut holes into pots, even if it requires a drill. Virtually no plant will enjoy sitting in a pot without drainage, so pots with drainage holes are always a must when you’re putting your plants in pots rather than in the ground.
Find Amazing Plants and Advice at Green Thumb Nursery
Are you interested in beautifying your home with new plants? Would you like advice on how to keep your flower beds looking terrific? Would you like to know how to ensure your houseplants are in great condition? Visit Green Thumb Nursery for advice on everything related to your new plants, as well as materials you need to keep your plants healthy and thriving.
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