I’ve been messing around with plants for a while now, and boy, have I learned a thing or two about giving them too much water. It’s like, you think you’re doing them a favor, but really, you’re kind of smothering them with love. Let me tell you about my journey.
So, first off, I got this new batch of plants. I was all excited, you know? I planted them in these nice pots and started my usual watering routine. But then, I noticed something was off. Some of the leaves on my plants started turning yellow. Not the cool, autumn kind of yellow, but a sad, sickly yellow. That was my first clue.
-
Yellowing leaves: This is the first sign I saw. They looked kinda droopy, too. I used to think droopy means dry, but I was wrong!
Then, I paid more attention and saw that the soil was always wet. Like, not just moist, but soggy. I poked my finger in, and it was like sticking it in a puddle. I think I really overdid it. And guess what, some of the plants even had this weird, moldy smell. I definitely realized that I’m drowning my plants.
-
Soggy soil: If the soil feels like a wet sponge, that’s no good. Roots need air, too, you know?
-
Moldy smell: This one is a real problem. I figured it meant root rot, which is super bad.
So, what did I do? I stopped watering them like crazy. I did some research and found out that it’s better to let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. I started checking the soil with my finger, and only when it felt dry about an inch down, I would water again.
-
Wilting: Yep, even though I was overwatering, some plants still wilted. It’s confusing, but it’s because the roots can’t absorb water properly when they’re drowning.
-
Edema: This one was new to me. Some of my plants got these weird bumps on the leaves. That’s edema.
It took some time, but I saw improvements. The yellowing stopped, and the new leaves looked healthy. The soil felt normal, and that moldy smell disappeared. It was a rough patch, but we made it through.
So, yeah, overwatering is a real thing. It’s not about how often you water, but how much. You gotta feel the soil, look at the leaves, and pay attention to what your plants are telling you. They’ll let you know if you’re going overboard with the waterworks. Trust me, I learned it the hard way!
