I'm watering a lot my potted plants? Before they needed more water, but now with the cold and the stagnation of their development, their needs are lower, some even maintain the humidity of the substrate for weeks, should I water them? What if I happen? What are symptoms of overwatering? And of its lack?
Irrigation is one of the keys to the success of growing plants and our garden in pots. In a previous article I told you about the recommendations for irrigation, this time we will see the symptom that shows the plant when irrigation is not adequate and how they can recover.
lack of water in plants
dehydration in plants it is a very serious problem, especially during the summer when it is hot and, therefore, the more water they need. In those months, the land dries out much faster than in any other season of the year, so we have to pay much more attention to irrigation.
Symptom
- The leaves are dull, dull in color.
- The tips or edges are dried.
- They curl up.
- They yellow.
- They fall off or go limp.
- They abort the flowers.
- Appearance of pests (mealybugs and aphids are the most common).
In addition, soil will look and feel very dry, even cracked. If the plant is in a pot, when we pick it up we will realize that it weighs much less than it weighs just after watering.
Transmission
How does a dry plant recover because it lacks water? Believe it or not, it's very, very simple. you just have to water. You have to soak the earth. But since this is sometimes not easy, since it may be so dry that it has already become waterproof, what we will do is take the plant and submerge the pot in a container with water, where we will leave it for approximately half an hour.
If it is on the ground, the earth will be drilled around the plant. Also, you have to do a tree grate so that when water is poured on it, it stays close to the stem. And then it will be watered.
Thereafter, the frequency of irrigation will have to be increased.
In the event that there is any pest, a specific insecticide will be applied to it. For example, if you have mealybugs, it will be treated with an anti-mealybug insecticide. You can also treat it with an ecological remedy, such as diatomaceous earth.
excess water in plants
excess water It is a much, much more serious problem than the previous one, since the damage suffered by the roots is more serious. For this reason, from here I always like to recommend the same thing: if you have a potted plant, do not put a plate under it, unless you are going to drain it after watering; and if in doubt, check the moisture of the soil before adding water again.
Symptom
- First, the leaves turn yellow.
- Subsequently, they fall off.
- Stem rot may be observed.
- In the soil, verdina or mushrooms can grow.
The excess of Water is one of the leading causes of death for our potted plants., specifically, the rotting of its roots.
Substrate moisture is significant. If the soil is moist (not wet) it is better not to water. Also keep in mind that plastic pots hold moisture longer than clay pots.
Transmission
If a plant starts to show symptoms of overwatering, first check that the drainage hole of the pot is not clogged. If it is, unclog it and don't water for a few days. If you cannot unclog it easily, remove the root ball from the pot, and improve its drainage by placing gravel, ceramic pieces, stones… at the bottom of the pot. Then return the root ball to its place. Don't water for a few days.
If it is not clogged and has already lost part of its leaves, you can try to recover the plant Carefully removing the root ball from the pot, you wrap it in several layers of absorbent kitchen paper, and leave it that way for 24 hours. If the leaves get soggy, add new ones. Then return the plant to the pot and do not water it for several days.
How to avoid problems related to irrigation?
There are a number of things we can do to avoid problems. They are the following:
- Plant the plants in a soil suitable for them: if they are succulents, think that they should grow in soils or land with excellent drainage, as they would if they were kept in a mixture of peat and perlite in equal parts. More information here.
- If they are going to be in pots, choose those that have holes in their base. Those that do not have any are a danger to the plants since the risk of them dying from excess water is very high.
- Check soil moisture before watering. You can do this by inserting a wooden stick into the ground. If when extracting it comes out with adhering soil, you do not have to water it because it will mean that it is wet.
If you want to create a system of home automatic watering To avoid the problems of excess water or scarcity, click on the link that we just left you because it will be very useful.
Hello, look what happens is that I bought a very nice geranium about fifteen days ago but in the first week the large leaves of a yellowish tone were put on it but they were not points but the entire leaf starting from the edge and those that were just born came out completely yellow I noticed that the container where it was had no holes and the earth never dried so I transplanted it, but now it is worse because the leaves are not only yellow but also have toasted and brown edges and all the The flowers I had withered and the buds did not open, they only turned yellow and were removed, and I no longer know if it is a lack of water, I have had it for two weeks and I have only watered it once because of what it said about the previous container It did not have holes so I thought it was better not to wet it more, that is to say now I only water it once a week but it is a geranium and I do not know if that is the proper watering, well I am in Bogota and the climate is cold but the plant is inside of and the house ... they have also told me that it is lack of sun because the truth is if it gives a lot of daylight but not sun as such, because of the climate
Hi Viviana.
It is normal for its leaves to be wilted after having suffered excess watering as a result of the pot not having holes for water drainage. My advice is to check the humidity before watering again. How is it done? Very easy:
-Insert a thin wooden stick to the bottom.
-If when you extract it, it comes out practically clean, it is because the earth is dry; If, on the other hand, it comes out with a lot of soil attached, it is because it is damp.
It is likely that the leaves will fall off, but then little by little it should recover.
A greeting.
Hello, I have an 80 cm lemon tree in a pot on the terrace. Some kind of stains started to appear but it is as if the leaves were peeled in pieces and no hole is made, the flowers fall and the little lemon trees remain also. what could it be? thank you.
Hello Olgui.
It could be a fungus, which you can treat with any systemic fungicide.
a greeting
Hi Monica, thank you very much but that I was told in the garden center that it was excess irrigation and the florist's by default. I say that I am not very clear about it. They told me they had no bugs or fungi. And I don't know what to do because the flowers keep falling. With what I would like to have lemons.
Hello Olgui.
How often do you water it? The lemon tree needs frequent waterings, but avoiding leaving the substrate or the soil waterlogged. In general, it is recommended to water about 3 times a week in summer, and 1 or 2 a week the rest of the year.
Fungi appear due to excess moisture, so treating it with a fungicide will help prevent them.
A greeting.
Thanks for everything. I will.
Greetings to you 🙂
Hello, I have different plants but all indoor plants just change them from home, but I don't know what happens to my little toad, the yellow leaves start to turn but not the new leaves and some turn a little brown on the edges, which I'm doing wrong. I love my plants very much and I want to see them always green and beautiful
Hello, Maggie.
How often do you water them? An excess of water can cause the appearance of yellow spots on the leaves.
It is recommended to buy the humidity of the earth before watering, introducing a thin wooden stick; if it comes out with adhered substrate when it is removed, it is because it is damp and therefore does not have to be watered.
A greeting.
Hello
I have a tree in my garden, it is a thunderclap, it is already many years old, it was very leafy and very green, but lately the leaves are falling; it has many branches already dry, but on the other hand it also has sprouts of new twigs I don't know what's wrong with it, I don't know if I'm watering it too much or it lacks water Normally as far as I know, the thunder hardly falls off the leaves, but mine is getting bald, I don't know what to do
Hello, Titi.
Have you checked if it has any plagues? It is rare for a thunder tree to be running out of leaves. How often do you water it? If the soil is very dry, it is advisable to water it two or three times a week in summer, and every 5-6 days the rest of the year.
A greeting.
I have a dwarf azalea I bought it 20 days ago; a week after I bought it I transplanted it and added half a nitro-plant tablet to a medium pot on the third day I noticed that all the leaves were wilted; I wanted you to please tell me if I have hope of recovering it and I changed it again of land but I have not seen any change !!!
Hi Yllen.
I recommend you give it a good watering, conscientiously. Add more water than you would. With this it is possible to clean the roots, eliminating the excess of fertilizer.
Remove all the dry parts, and then you just have to wait and water it from time to time (no more than three times a week).
Luck.
Hello. I need help with my azalea. They gave it to me when I was beautiful, I looked for the necessary care so that the same would not happen to me with the previous one, but after 20 days the leaves began to fall and the flowers wither. Now it has neither. Could you help me get it back if there is a chance? Thanks!
Hello Dahiana.
The azalea is a plant that does not like lime. If the irrigation water is very hard, it is important to dilute the liquid of half a lemon in 1l of water, and then water with it. The frequency of irrigation should be 2 to 3 times a week in summer, and no more than 2 / week the rest of the year.
To help you further, I recommend watering it with homemade rooting hormones (here explains how to obtain them).
A greeting.
Hi how are things? A few days ago I bought 2 trees online, a jacaranda and a tabachin, but the parcel took almost a week to deliver them, and the truth is that it affected them since they lost the vast majority of leaves and some were left with a yellowish tone. The person who sold them to me advised me to put them in buckets of water for 2 or 3 days, but after a day I noticed that some leaves and branches began to turn black as well as rotting. I don't know if they can still be saved.
Hello Alberto.
During the first few days it is normal for them to get a little ugly, but putting them in a container of water often does them more harm than good.
I recommend you plant them in pots with soil, and not water them until 4-5 days have passed.
And to see how they react.
A greeting.
Hello, very good day, nice to meet you, I'm Juan and my case is next, I have 2 pots, one made of large clay and the other one made of small plastic, both are made of moringa, the clay pots, the plant or tree is more yellow and thin the trunk that the plastic one in both continues to sprout flakes, I just want to know if it lacks water or does not have good drainage since the wood is not clogged
Hi John.
Yes, if it does not have holes, it is probably excess water. Ideally, transfer it to a pot that has at least one hole through which the water can escape.
A greeting.
Hello, I have a problem with a Peperomia Argyreia, I have noticed that its leaves have become dull and wilted and on some leaves on the back they have small brown spots, like dots, any recommendations?
Hi Michelle.
Have you checked if it has any plagues? How often do you water it? The Peperomia It is a fairly delicate plant in general, which does not like excess water and must be protected from the cold 😉
Greetings.
Hello, I have a federal star that they gave me 10 days ago, 2 days ago I transplanted it into a bigger pot and noticed at the time that the lower leaves began to limp and some of them turn yellow and twist, and that's it. but I am afraid that it will die. What can be?
Hello Ale.
It is normal for some plants to react like this after a transplant. Just one question: when you watered it, did you pour water on it until the whole earth was moistened? It is important that it lies down until it comes out through the holes in the pot.
Here You have the file and care of the plant in case you are interested.
Greetings.
Hello!! A week ago I bought a federal flower but it started to wither ... could I have watered it a lot? I read that you had to water it from below and I did it directly on the plant, is that it? How can I get it back? Thank you!