Watering errors are the most common reason for houseplant problems. It’s easy to get over-excited when you take care of your plants, protect them from drought, and give them the best possible care.
But watering too much or too often can lead to problems like nutritional imbalances, oxygen deprivation, and rot.
Only a few houseplants can handle too much humidity, and even plants that need stable humidity can’t handle soggy soil. For most of your favorite plants, it’s best to opt for very little water.
Overwatering your plants, too often or too much, prevents the soil from drying out, alters its structure and air permeability, and creates the perfect environment for harmful microorganisms to thrive.
This can lead to root and shoot rot. Standing water in containers, poor drainage, and a hardened soil surface with puddles is bad news for your plants.
Some watering mistakes may not cause noticeable problems, but if those problems get worse, your plants could suffer.
Telltale signs of trouble include loss of elasticity, dullness, wilting of healthy leaves, and brown or black spots.
Diagnosing the problem is often easier by checking the soil for an acidic, musty, or sometimes ammonia-like smell, lumps, and droplets that come off when you press it down.
Underwatering is better than overwatering for most houseplants (except aquatic plants).
While only cacti can thrive in complete drought, the risks of over-saturating the soil far outweigh those of more careful watering.
Bulbs, cacti, and succulents, including jade plants, aloe, snake plants, and hippeastrum, are known to be sensitive to excess water. They can rot even with the slightest excess of moisture.
But even among “ordinary” indoor plants, many do not tolerate humidity. It’s not always clear which plants are prone to overwatering, as many like constant moisture, but they also can’t handle complete drought.
Now let’s look at 10 popular indoor plants that need to be treated with care when it comes to watering.
Contents
1- Begonias
With the variety of begonias, everyone can find a plant to their liking. Equally unique are the lush leaves of the decorative leaf varieties or the enchanting blooms of the magnificent blooming begonias.
However, all begonias have an aversion to excess water. Overwatering these plants can lead to rapid death.
Water the begonias thoroughly. Your preferred stable soil moisture can only be achieved by constantly monitoring the level of soil dryness.
As a precaution, immediately drain the water from the containers and let the top 2-3 cm of soil dry out before the next watering.
2- Citrus plants
Oranges, lemons and other favorite scents may seem durable and super reliable, but they do not tolerate soil compaction or moisture, even in winter.
To enjoy a healthy crown of shiny leaves, fragrant flowers and abundant fruit, watch the condition of the soil and prevent water from accumulating at the bottom of the pots, even during heavy watering in summer. And avoid using cold water.
3- Geraniums
Thanks to their luxurious large-flowered varieties, geraniums are back in fashion. But the more impressive the variety, the more likely it is to be poorly maintained.
Geraniums require frequent feeding, abundant watering and protection from waterlogging. They can perish due to rot, even if you quickly drain the water from the trays, but do not let the topsoil dry out.
4- Ficus
Reliable and affordable ficuses thrive with moderate watering. Ficus benjamina, rubber trees and other species fear excess water or cold water more than dehydration.
Regular excessive watering disturbs the air permeability of the soil – a necessary condition for the average growth of varieties of compact and giant ficus.
To avoid mistakes, it is better to be careful and let the substrate dry out a little more between waterings, up to a third in summer and half in winter.
5- Zebra Plant (Aphelandra)
It’s hard to say which is more attractive about this rather large and bright shrub: the dark, wrinkled leaves with thick light veins or the vibrant spike-shaped inflorescences with unusual bracts.
The zebra plant needs winter dormancy, but to avoid problems it should be watered regularly and sparingly throughout the year, including summer.
Standing water is deadly to zebra plants, and you can only save the plants by re-rooting the tops if the soil is overwatered.
6-Clivia
Few things compare to clivia flowers. Clivia blooms more profusely as it ages and has deservedly earned the nickname “bush lily”. Luxurious tubular flowers in clusters atop lush fans of tongue-shaped leaves require special care and conditions.
But the main mistake of growing clivia is careless watering. This plant does not tolerate stagnant water in containers.
Drain excess moisture immediately after watering and make sure the top 3-4 cm of soil has completely dried out before proceeding with the next procedure.
7- Ornamental pepper
Adorned with a medley of multicolored fruits that change color as they ripen, compact and attractive ornamental peppers are surprisingly sensitive to excess moisture.
Water the chili several times and the plants can die in a few days.
For ornamental peppers, maintain consistent but light soil moisture. Stagnation of water in the reservoir is much more dangerous than severe drying out of the soil.
8- Episcia cupreata (Violet Flame)
The fiery violet episcia seems to be one of the easiest houseplants due to its love of warmth and unassuming care.
Despite its sensitivity to complete drying out of the substrate, standing water and excess water are even more dangerous for this fantastic indoor plant with velvety leaves, delicate flexible shoots and bright red tubular flowers.
9- Easter Flower
Known for its vibrant upper bracts that brighten winter spaces, the poinsettia is often not saved for the following year.
However, growing poinsettias as seasonal plants requires careful care, including cool temperatures, consistent lighting, proper nutrition, and regular soil moisture checks.
Standing water is the main cause of leaf drop. Even with too much water, poinsettias can lose their decorative charm within weeks.
10- Camellia
The lush, luxurious blooms with their unmistakable textures and beautiful dark foliage of this indoor legend more than make up for the challenges of growing and finding a cool place to bloom.
Despite their affinity for moisture and recommendations for maintaining consistent soil moisture, camellias do not tolerate overwatering.
Allow the top layer of soil to dry out between waterings. Allow the substrate to become semi-dry when the dormant and flowering season arrives. You can check the moisture content by hand or with special indicators.
What to do if your plant has received too much water?
Remember these three basic rules of careful irrigation to avoid excessive soil moisture:
- Know the specific humidity needs of each plant species and carefully follow the irrigation recommendations (differences in the different stages of development, degree of dryness of the substrate, irrigation methods, etc.).
- Always check the dryness of the soil before watering again.
- Check water quality and temperature.
In any uncertain situation, choose the safest option: a little more careful, water sparingly rather than overdoing it.
Although the consequences of overwatering can be overwhelming, they are not irreversible. Excessive watering leads to the death of the plant only if the situation is neglected. If the watering issues weren’t constant, a simple care adjustment would help.
Before the next watering, let the soil dry out more intensively, gently loosen the upper layer and place the pot on moisture-absorbing materials (sand, perlite, towels, etc.) to quickly remove excess moisture from the lower layers floor. floor. Adjust watering frequency forward.
Simple measures are not enough if there are signs of root damage or moldy ground. Emergency transplantation is a difficult and often deadly procedure, but it is the only way out of the situation.
Cutting off any damaged areas after washing and inspecting the roots, treating them with fungicides, and drying the cuttings before planting them in new, disinfected soil are typical emergency transplant steps.
If the rot has reached the growing points and buds, you need to save the plant by propagating it, rooting the tops or taking cuttings to produce healthy offspring.
Sharing is caring!