Why Does Overwatering Kill Plants?

One of the principal things that you learn when you first begin to start gardening is that you should never over-water plants, except if you need to see them bite the dust. Well, the real question is what is so risky about over-watering that it kills saplings and young plants?

Over-watering seriously restrains and cuts off the supply of oxygen that roots rely upon to work appropriately, meaning that plants don't get sufficient oxygen to endure. Also, a lot of water can likewise lead to root spoiling and the irreversible rotting of roots.

Low Availability of Oxygen to the Roots

This is the main reason behind why overwatering plants can kill them. Just like the humans, the plant also depends on air to remain alive. Plants exhale carbon dioxide from the air to make their nourishment or food (sugars and starches, specifically), however they additionally need oxygen to remain healthy. Getting oxygen from outside is the role of roots, as they help to acquire supplements for the plant and remain healthy. The excessive water inside these roots overflow the oxygen air pockets in roots meaning that the roots can no more store oxygen in these air pockets losing an important resource of survival.

Root Rotting

Well from the name it is quite clear that root rot is essentially the decaying of roots, generally caused due to poor drainage or waterlogging. There are many fungi that cause root rot, including rhizoctonia, pythium, and phytophthora. The condition is observed more in indoor plants than outdoor ones, and generally leads to the death of the plant. It makes the roots rot and makes them unfit to supply basic supplements and water to the plant. As it is nearly impossible to reverse the root rot, it's always prescribed to water a plant (particularly an indoor plant) just when the surrounding soil gets dry, as this avoids the danger of waterlogging.

No Water

It may appear counterintuitive, but overwatering a plant can deny it of the very thing it has an abundance of - water. Plants have root hairs that assimilate water (and other supplements) from the soil and accordingly transport that water to different sectors of the plant. These waterlogged conditions due to overwatering continually makes these root hairs cease to exist. So, plants slowly lose the part that is necessary for observing oxygen, which is the reason why overwatering kills plants because of its requirement for water itself!

Washing of Fertilizers

Fertilizers are added to soil to enhance its nourishing profile and help the development of the plant inside it. Overwatering can possibly clean out these fertilizers, which can deny plants of certain basic supplements

How do I fix an overwatered plant?

Let the dirt dry out in the overwatered pot and once it does then lift the plant from the pot, you will need to expel as much soil away from the roots as you can inspect the roots. Trim off damaged, dead or unhealthy roots so just the white ones remain. Utilizing fresh soil and a new pot, cautiously repot the plant. It's ideal to utilize a pot which has drainage holes at the base as this assists with evacuating abundance of moisture.

So, these above mentioned are the main reasons behind why overwatering kills plants and how you can fix it! Always check the surrounding roots before watering the plant and try to follow the care tips for each plant that you have in your garden as the watering instructions for different plants like air purifying plants, bonsai plants, etc. are different. There are also certain gadgets available in the market through which you can get the reading of how much amount of moisture the soil needs or has at a given time. Help your plant stay healthy for a long time with its proper watering and care! Happy planting!