As we all know, water is essential for life. But just as our stomachs can hurt when we drink too much, potted plants also struggle when we water them too much, except that they are at the mercy of the care we give them; And of course, if they are wrong, they will have a harder time recovering.
But do not panic, because I will explain to you how to remove excess water from a pan and, thus, get the chances that they improve are greater.
What are the symptoms of overwatering potted plants?
The first is the first. First, we need to know if our potted plant is drowning or if something else is happening to it. Well, for that it is important to remember what are the symptoms that usually appear when the earth is too wet or even waterloggedand the roots are struggling:
yellow lower leaves
This is one of the most common symptoms, and it is that If the roots send more water to the leaves than they need, the first to err will be the lowest because they are the first to receive this precious liquid.. But soon after, we will see that the other leaves also start to turn yellow. They eventually turn brown and sometimes, depending on the plant species considered, fall off.
sad general appearance
This can be seen in some plants, like many that are kept indoors, such as the spatophyllum, for example. When they have too much water, the leaves “drop”. It is as if the stems are losing their strength and are no longer able to support said leaves.. But you have to be careful, because we will also see this symptom if what happens is that the plant is thirsty. In order not to be confused, we will have to see what other signs or damage it shows.
The earth is wet and heavy
When we water, the weight of the soil that the plant has increases. Therefore, if we take the pot, we will realize that it weighs more than when we have not watered it for several days. In addition, depending on the type of substrate we put on it, the weight will be more or less important. For example, those with black peat or mulch weigh more than those with blond peat, coir and/or vermiculite.
Things start to get complicated when there is excess water, or moisture in the ground. It is then that we will notice that the pot weighs practically the same for several days. Yes if we also had it inside a pot, we would even see that the recent itself, on the outside, gets wet.
mushrooms appear
When the fungus appears, the problem is much worse. In such cases, what needs to be done is prune away anything affected (i.e. rotten stems, leaves that are no longer green, black roots) and change both the soil and the pot. Additionally, a systemic fungicide like this must be applied to have a chance of recovering the plant.
How to remove excess water from pots?
Image – Flordeplanta.com.ar
Once we have identified the problem, we must act as soon as possible so that it does not worsen. So, What we are going to do is the following:
- We take the plant out of the pot.
- Take absorbent paper (thick) and wrap the root bread with it. If we see that the paper soaks quickly, we will remove it and put another one. So until we see that’s not happening anymore.
- Leave the plant like this in a room with lots of indirect light and sheltered from cold and rain overnight.
- The next day we will proceed to plant it in a new pot with a substrate that we have not used before.
Related article:
Complete guide to substrates: how to choose the best one for your plant
Now well, This pot must have holes in its base. It is very very important. Water, if it cannot get out, will remain stagnant there, between the roots, and the health of the plant will continue to decline.
For this reason The pot should also not be placed in a pot that does not have holes in its base.; even if you choose to put a plate underneath, remember to empty it after watering, because otherwise it’s as if nothing had been done.
And as we said before, if it had fungi, or if we suspect it has and we don’t want to risk it, we need to apply a fungicide as soon as possible, because these micro-organisms are very comfortable in a humid environment, and all the more so if the temperatures are mild. Therefore, whenever we think we have overwatered, it does not hurt to carry out an antifungal treatment.
In any case, it is better to do what is in our power to avoid the problem.
How to properly water potted plants?
The trick that has worked best for me and that I’m going to tell you, you probably already know it, is to know when it’s time to water: it’s the one with the stick. You take a wooden stick or a plastic plant stake and insert it into the ground all the way to the bottom. Then, we take it out delicately, and we see if it is dry -in which case we would see that it comes out practically clean-, or if it is damp. If it is dry, you need to water. But how is it watered?
Well, it’s really quite simple: Just pour water into the soil until it comes out from under the pot. But if you see that said substrate does not absorb water, it is better to immerse the pot in a basin of water for about twenty or thirty minutes, why? Because when this happens, it is because the earth has dried up so much that it has become almost impermeable; therefore it is necessary to immerse it for some time.
As you can see, you have to learn how to water potted plants more or less well, as this minimizes the risk of them weakening.