Overwatering your plants can quickly make them sick if you don’t notice the signs and address the issue.
How long it takes for your plant to recover will depend on how badly you’ve overwatered it!
While there is never a guarantee that your plant will fully recover from overwatering, if your plant is going to survive you will see results within a week or so.
Are brown leaves a sign of overwatering?
The main reason plants die is due to improper care, such as incorrect watering and inadequate lighting.
Yes, brown leaves can be a sign of under and overwatering your plants.
That being said, the biggest difference between the two is that too little water will result in your plant’s leaves feeling dry and crispy to the touch. On the other hand, too much water results in soft, limp leaves cause root rot and lead to your plants dying.
When you overwater a plant, water pressure begins to build in the cells of the plant leaves when the roots absorb too much water.
This is a problem because:
- The cells eventually die and burst.
- The plant forms blisters that make your plant look sickly.
- Brown or white wart-like growths begin to form as a result of these blisters bursting.
- Your plant begins to wilt.
To ensure that your plant is in the best condition possible, you need to be regularly checking the soil to see if it is being overwatered. Although the leaves are where you’ll notice a problem, make sure to check the drainage.
How do you know if you’re overwatering plants?
There are a few sure signs that you’re overwatering your plants that you should be aware of.
Wilting leaves that turn brown
An obvious sign that you’re overwatering your plants is that their leaves will begin to wilt and turn brown. When the roots of a plant have been overwatered:
- They can’t supply water to the upper parts of the plant.
- The plant can’t get nutrients from the soil, which causes the plant to become discolored.
Before watering your plant, be sure to check your soil to see if it is wet. Take a finger and place it into the soil at a point somewhere near the plant’s base. If the soil feels wet, you’ve overwatered it.
Wet and wilting
If you know you’ve been watering the plant but it’s still dying, overwatering is likely at fault. To prevent yourself from making this mistake again, only water your plants when the soil is dry to the touch.
Root rot
When the soil is dense with water, it can limit the roots’ ability to breathe. As a result, they will then drown and begin to rot.
Plant root rot is a fungal disease that will cause the roots to turn grey, brown, or slimy and will eventually cause the plant to wilt.
Yellow falling leaves
When a plant is overwatered, the color of the leaves starts to change. If you happen to have both yellowing leaves and new growth falling from your plant, there is a good chance you are overwatering. You may also notice splotches of yellow on the leaves
How do you save an overwatered plant?
Recognizing the signs and acting quickly is fundamental to its survival. This is why making a note of when you water it is important, as you’ll have a better understanding of what is wrong with your plant if you keep a record of when you have been watering it.
Below are a few methods that you can try to save an overwatered plant:
Stop watering the plant as it dries
If you think your plant is overwatered, you should try to take a break from watering it. This is an important step to take, otherwise, the problem will continue to get worse.
Don’t add more water to the pot until you’re sure the roots and soil are dry (after several days or even a week or two).
Adjust daily sunlight to protect the upper leaves
When you have overwatered a plant, it has trouble transporting water to its upper extremities. This means that the top of the plant is vulnerable to drying out if it’s left in the sun or in direct sunlight. Placing your plant in a shaded area will help to preserve the plant.
Improve the drainage
Improving your plant pot’s drainage is crucial to avoid encountering the same problem again. If your pot doesn’t have holes at the bottom to allow for drainage, it’s likely that your plant is getting overwatered as water gets trapped at the bottom of the pot.
It’s best to remove the plant from the pot to check it for root rot. If it’s a plastic pot, you can try making holes in the pot or alternatively transfer the plant to a new pot with holes.
Change the soil
If you’ve overwatered your plant, you will also need to check the soil for mold or algae. If this is the case, you can repot the plant in fresh, sterile soil and ensure that the old contaminated soil no longer forms part of the equation.
In summary
If you are worried that you are overwatering your plant, the best solution is to keep a note of when you are watering it. You will also need to check your soil regularly.
Push your finger about an inch or two down into the soil to check how wet it is and only water it when it’s dry to the touch.
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