What Happens When Plants are Overwatered?

When plants are overwatered, it can lead to several detrimental effects on their health. Essentially, excessive moisture in the soil reduces the amount of oxygen available to the plant's roots. This creates a favorable environment for root-rotting fungi, which can infect and damage the roots ultimately killing your plant. Excessive moisture provides a favorable environment for the development of fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and downy mildew, which can further harm the plant.

Plant roots require oxygen for respiration. Overwatering can saturate the soil, displacing oxygen and hindering the roots' ability to take in the essential gas. Moreover, too much water can wash away essential nutrients from the soil, making them unavailable to the plant. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies and affect the plant's overall growth and development. Overwatering can inhibit the uptake of these nutrients and disrupt normal metabolic processes in plants. As a result, the plant may exhibit stunted growth, yellowing of leaves, and overall poor vigor. Paradoxically, overwatered plants may show wilting symptoms. This is because, again, waterlogged soil can lead to root damage, preventing the plant from effectively taking up water even though the soil is moist.

To avoid overwatering, it's important to monitor the soil moisture, use well-draining soil, and establish a monitoring/ watering schedule based on the specific needs of the plant(s).