OVERWATERING AND UNDERWATERING: 6 QUICK TIPS FOR GARDENERS

Contents

1 INTRODUCTION
2 1. WHY WATERING MATTERS IN CONTAINER GARDENING
3 2. SIGNS OF UNDERWATERING AND OVERWATERING
4 3. CAUSES OF UNDERWATERING AND OVERWATERING
5 4. HOW TO TEST SOIL MOISTURE LEVELS
6 5. TIPS FOR AVOIDING UNDERWATERING AND OVERWATERING
- 6.1 Tips for Preventing Underwatering
- 6.2 Tips for Preventing overwatering
7 6. CREATING AN IDEAL WATERING ROUTINE
- 7.1 Weekly and Bi-weekly watering guide
8 CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

Every gardener faced overwatering and underwatering problems at least once in their gardening journey. The proper watering is a skill, that can be acquired with some years of practising. Lazy gardeners like me acquire these gardening skills by killing plenty of plants by root rot and plant burn (welcome to the club).

Watering is not only a portion of food for plants it’s a lifeline inside the plant. That holds many processes inside the plant. Watering involves photosynthesis, plant structure, root growth, and potting structure.

Common challenges of Overwatering & Underwatering

Overwatering can cause root rot, and plant infections, attract slugs & bugs and disrupt the potting mix structure. Underwatering leads to poor hydrated plants, affects plant structure, leads to dry soil less absorption of nutrients and poor growth. Gardeners hate all these things because it says one common thing: your plant baby is not healthy and happy.

In this Blog, you will learn how to identify signs of overwatering and underwatering, what causes overwatering and underwatering and simple solutions to get rid of all problems related to overwatering and underwatering. Because I faced these two problems frequently in my gardening journey and made things better with the below tips and hacks.

1. WHY WATERING MATTERS IN CONTAINER GARDENING

What is the importance of watering plants

We commonly know that watering plants is like feeding food to pets. (I’m not talking about plant geniuses) But the science behind watering plants is existing, time for a little botany class time. Water is a key component in the Photosynthesis process, allowing plants to convert sunlight into energy.

Water helps to Transport nutrients from organic matter to roots, stems and leaves. Water maintains Turgor pressure that keeps the plant structure and rigidity. Water maintains the Temperature in the plants to prevent excess heat and wilting.

Moist in soil Promotes microbial activity that keeps the potting mix structure and improves plant health. Watering keeps the plant Resilient to stress this keeps the plant resilient to disease, hot weather and infection.

Differences in water requirement between container plants and ground plants

Unlike ground containers plants have limited space so they hold a limited quantity of water, in ground gardening plants absorb and store water while raining and watering also stable rain increases groundwater levels. But all these processes don’t have any of your control. In hot weather, the ground becomes hot water and evaporates quickly you need water more. In times like water scarcity, you can’t manage to water ground gardening because of the watering quantity ground gardening plants require.

In container gardening, you have much more control over temperature, soil quality and watering. You can choose pot materials that can regulate temperatures in hard weather. You can make water retention potting mix or well-aerated potting mix or well-drained potting mix based on your climate and environment needs. Compared to ground gardening you don’t need large quantities of water for container plants, you can choose drought-tolerant plants for dry areas or you can use drip irrigation to water precisely.

2. SIGNS OF UNDERWATERING AND OVERWATERING

Signs of Underwatering

You can easily see the signs of underwatering in the first sight of the plant. Dry cracked soil is a visible sign of underwatering, you can see these cracks between pots and potting mix. Wilting is a sign of a lot of plant problems but still, you can identify that dull-looking plants and head leaves it is a sign of underwatering.

Yellowing leaves are signs of sunlight issues as well, but you can see crispy browned corners in leaves means it is an underwatering issue. Slow growth is another sign that your plant doesn’t get enough water and not absorbing nutrients from the soil.

Signs of Overwatering

Overwatering signs can be also identified at first sight as well, a fishy smell from the damp soil is a sign of root rot (immediate report needed to save plant). Heavy Pots are a sign your pot holds excess water inside. Yellowing leaves again, but mushy leaves and leaves dropping.

Apart from these, you can find Mushy stems & leaves that are not even mature. A white or green layer on top of the soil sign of fungal attacks and mould formation that only happens when the potting mix is soggy. Slugs are another sign that you are overwatering the plant.

3. CAUSES OF UNDERWATERING AND OVERWATERING

Common causes of Underwatering

I faced underwatering issues a lot of times, sometimes we were busy at work and had no time to water or forget to water. A few months back I broke my legs and I couldn’t water my 60+ plants on the terrace at that time I took the help of my family and sometimes a house helper watered my plants. What I saw after 3 months was terrible, I lost half of my plants due to over-watering and under-watering. These situations are unpredictable you can’t prepare for them. Most of the underwatering issues arise when the gardener is unwell or busy.

Apart from the busy schedule or physical illness sometimes I felt overwhelmed to care for plants. At that time, I tried to convince myself that you don’t need to water just check out the plants after saw plants I watered them no matter how unwell I was that’s a plant aura.

The potting mixture that dries out quickly affects watering and leads to underwatering, using a potting mix without water retention also leads to underwatering. Potting mix ratios also lead to underwatering, like adding too many well-draining components quickly dries the potting mix and fails to hold moisture.

Common causes of Overwatering

Most gardeners face this issue because they over-pour their love toward the plant by watering (I remembered a quote: I killed once a plant because I gave it too much water. Lord, I worry that love is violence). There are plenty of things that cause overwatering. Frequent watering is an issue for beginner gardeners, ignore checking the top layer of soil before watering.

Using pots without drainage holes, especially plastic pots are less aerated and hold moisture. Mostly pots without drainage holes lead to water pooling on top, making soggy soil all signs of overwatering.

Plants in shady areas take more time to dry out, watering frequently to those plants only leads to root rot a major issue of overwatering. Also, keeping the watering schedule is a bad idea, you can’t follow someone else watering schedules. But you can customise the watering schedule based on plant watering needs and your local climate.

4. HOW TO TEST SOIL MOISTURE LEVELS

Finger test is a simple method to check soil moisture, touch the top layer of soil using fingers. If the soil sticks in your fingers, it’s still moist, you feel dampness you don’t need to water. If the finger comes out clean without soil, the soil is dry you can water now.
Using skewers or wooden sticks is another method to check soil moisture inside the potting mix. Insert skewers or sticks inside the potting mix (not too close to roots) and check the sticks. If it comes out without soil the potting mix is dry you can water it, the stick comes with soil it’s still moist there is no need to water it.
Moisture metres are useful when you are facing some serious root rot or plant burn, and taking care of a particular plant after repot. You can’t water every time after checking it with a moisture meter. It’s a tool for identifying the issues in watering and taking actions like repotting the plant.

5. TIPS FOR AVOIDING UNDERWATERING AND OVERWATERING

Tips for Preventing Underwatering

Set a regular water scheduling is not a preferable option, the reason behind this is. Your plants watering needs are based on the climate conditions in your local zones. The basic seasonal care includes frequent watering in summer, a few days once watering in autumn and weekly watering in cold and rainy seasons.

But instead of following these patterns, just visit your garden space once a day preferably early morning like before 10 am check the plants and water them when they’re dry. Still, you think you need a water schedule water two days once, before water any plant checks the soil to make sure it needs water.

In hot weather use mulching and water-retention potting mix to keep the plant hydrated. Using self-watering pots or drip irrigation is also a good method to keep your plants hydrated.

Tips for Preventing overwatering

The first and foremost thing to prevent overwatering is soil tests, and only water when the soil is dry. Using pots with drainage holes also prevents your plants from overwatering causing problems like root rot, with the help of drainage holes the excess water drains out in bottom holes. If you’re using drainage hole pots use the bottom tray to prevent water tripping on floors.

Watering in the morning also benefits, when the excess water evaporates and the potting mix forms mold and fungus due to watering at night. Adjusting water schedules based on seasons or your local climates avoids overwatering. Along with this use a well-drained potting mix to prevent waterlogging in soil.

6. CREATING AN IDEAL WATERING ROUTINE

Creating an ideal watering routine keeps your plants hydrated and thriving these routines include some factors, you’ve to customise your watering routine based on your plant types, and you have to make changes every four months based on climate and weather conditions. Let’s see in detail.

Weekly and Bi-weekly watering guide

# This is s common guide; your plant’s needs may vary so check the soil before watering

Plant Type	Watering Needs	Tips
Tropical plants (e.g. Ferns, Philodendron, Pothos and Monstera)	Tropical plants like moist but not soggy soil, water thoroughly till you see water come through drainage holes once a week.	Increase the watering frequency in warmer weather.
Herbs (e.g. Basil, mint, cilantro)	Herbs like moist soil water them once a week or whenever the top soil dries.	In hot weather check the moisture twice a week if you feel dry just water the plants.
Flowering plants (e.g. mums, petunias, geranium)	Water once a week, ensure the potting mix is well-drained and pots have drainage holes.	In flowering season flower plants need more watering especially when they’re in direct sunlight.
Succulents & Cacti	Succulents need to be watered 2 weeks once or when you see the top soil dry, ensure before watering the soil is completely dry.	Avoid overwatering this can lead to root rot.
Drought-tolerant herbs (e.g. rosemary, thyme)	Water every two weeks, these drought-tolerant plants prefer well-drained soil.	Avoid over-watering, just water when the potting mix is dry.
Ornamental Grasses	Water every two weeks, and allow the soil to dry out till the next watering.	Increase the watering frequency in hot weather.

CONCLUSION

Balanced watering is essential for thriving plants, the concept of having a garden is mindfulness of those healthy-looking plants, people adopt container gardening to get that greenery feel even in small spaces or places without space for gardens.

Keeping the watering routine and maintaining a balance of watering helps to avoid overwatering and underwatering issues that make your plants sad-looking. With the above hacks and tips, you will learn about the science behind watering and how to keep the balanced watering for plants.

To know more watering and other container gardening hacks and tips to keep your plants and your inner gardener happy check out my website. And let me know in the comments section what kind of watering issues you faced most. Happy gardening!