Plants need watering to stay lush and green. However, too much water can end up having the opposite effect. If you’re dutiful about yard maintenance but are often faced with dead plants, this may be the reason why. To help you care for your garden, here’s all you need to know about overwatering and how to prevent it.
Why Overwatering Kills Plants
Good yard maintenance starts with understanding how your plants thrive. A plant’s roots perform the important function of getting not only water and nutrients from the soil, but oxygen as well. When the soil around the roots is too soggy and wet, this can drown out the small pockets of air in the soil, depriving the plant of oxygen.
Overwatering can also cause root rot. There are several fungi that contribute to root rot, all of which thrive in waterlogged conditions. This habit may also damage the small root hairs on a plant. These root hairs absorb water, nutrients, and oxygen. If they are overly wet, they’ll be unable to perform these functions, which may slowly kill the plant.
How to Prevent Overwatering
Every plant has different watering needs, so research these before setting up your yard maintenance schedule. Try to water fewer times throughout the week, but for longer periods. This helps the water soak deeper into the soil, encouraging roots to grow farther as well. Remember that just because the soil is dry on top doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dry underneath, which you can check with a trowel or small spade.
Putting mulch or compost over your garden beds may also help improve drainage. If you need extra help, look into getting a moisture monitor or meter for the soil, which will let you know when it’s become dry under the surface.