Can Watering Plants Kill Them?

Keeping plants watered is usually a good thing. It keeps them from wilting, allows them to absorb nutrients, and helps them stay healthy. 

Keeping plants watered is usually a good thing. It keeps them from wilting, allows them to absorb nutrients, and helps them stay healthy.  

But sometimes, there can be too much of a good thing, and watering plants is a good example. While the right amount of water helps a plant thrive, too much water is definitely a bad thing!

Wilting

If the area is getting a lot of rain, or someone is a little overzealous in watering plants, they might notice something unexpected: wilting.

That seems strange, right? Why would a plant wilt when it received so much water?  

Well, basically, roots need oxygen, just like we need oxygen.  

If the ground is waterlogged, the plant can't "breathe," and it will drown. Wilting, even when the plant has been watered, is an indication that this has happened.

First, the good news: it’s possible to save over-watered potted plants or those in raised beds (although raised beds generally are less likely to become waterlogged).  The main strategy should be

• Prune off any dead foliage

• Re-pot or re-plant in freshly mixed soil

• Make sure drainage holes in the pots are clear of debris, and consider drilling a few more holes if the pot is waterlogged.

Drainage

Now, the not-so-good news: this is really a drainage issue, and improving drainage for landscape plants can be an expensive, time-consuming process. If a homeowner notices that larger shrubs are wilting, saving them as easily as a potted plant may not be possible. Instead, ask a professional designer or contractor to visit the property and assess the situation. They can help figure out the best next step.

Water deeply once or twice a week as needed and monitor the soil and condition of plants. If the ground stays saturated for a day or more after watering or if plants start to look wilted after a heavy watering, they may have a drainage issue.