How Long For Plants To Recover From Overwatering? 

Overwatering plants is another practice that can affect the growth and development of plants in the farm or garden. 

Many farmers hold firmly to the fact that the under-watering of plants is the chief cause of stunted growth. While that may be true to some extent, it is not also perfectly correct.

In this article, we shall extensively discuss everything about overwatering of plants, how long for plants to recover from overwatering, and how to fix the problem of overwatering.

Let’s get started!

How Long For Plants To Recover From Overwatering? 

On average, plants take about 1-2 weeks to recover from overwatering after being taken care of. 

Plants’ recovery from overwatering takes time because a lot of damage has made to the plant, especially the root and the soil.

However, if all plants, in particular, are overwatered, the chances that all of them will regain themselves after treatment at the same time are very low.

This is hinged on the fact that several factors determine how long plants can recover from overwatering. 

In the next section, we shall look at these factors.

See Also: How To Tell If a Plant is Overwatered or Underwatered

Factors that Affect The Recovery Of Overwatered Plants

We stated earlier that plants take between 1 week (7 days) and two weeks (14 days) to recover from overwatering; however there is no specific time for this recovery. 

The recovery time of any plant from overwatering is based on the following factors. 

• The level of damage
• The drainage strength
• Type of plant
• Season

1. The level of damage

The number one factor that will affect recovery time is the level of damage done to the plant– how badly the plant was damaged.

It may take months to recover a plant that has been overwatered for years and some of its roots removed, while the opposite happens to a plant overwatered for months or even days.

2. The drainage strength 

Poor drainage will take the plant longer to recover, while good drainage takes a shorter time. You can add perlite or coarse sand to the soil, and this is to help allow water to pass through more easily. 

3. Type of plant

The type of plant overwatered is also a factor to consider when determining the recovery time of any plant.

This is because the type of plant has a significant effect. Generally, the fastest-growing plants will recover quicker than the slow-growing plants.

4. The season 

The recovery time may also be affected by the season of the year. Plants generally take longer to grow in the winter than in the summer.

Similarly, plants also take a longer time to recover during the winter than in the summer.

Signs Of Overwatered Plants

Sometimes one may find it difficult to spot a plant that has been overwatered. And in most cases, they tend to find out when the level of damage to the plant has become severe.

In this section, we will look at the signs of overwatered plants. Yes, you should be able to identify an overwatered plant after perusing this section.

• Wilting
• Change in color
• Leaf drop
• Root health

1. Wilting

The first sign of an overwatered plant is wilting. It is no news that many thought that a wilting plant must be too dry.

You can investigate this by examining the soil. If the soil is moist, but the plant is wilting anyway, the plant is likely overwatered.

2. Change In Color

Another evidence of a drowning plant is a change in the color of the foliage. It would help if you were conversant with the fact that plants are naturally green (most likely thick green). 

If the foliage changes from a thick green or light green to pale or turns yellow or brown, then there is likely that the plant is overwatered.

Although underwatering may be the case if you have been doing the needful (watering regularly), the color change is fueled by overwatering.

3. Leaf drop

Leaf drops can signify a lot of things– underwatering and overwatering. However, as we said earlier, if you have to water your plants as recommended, it could result from overwatering.

This leaf drop occurs when the roots of the plants are rotting or there is a lack of adequate oxygen. Hence, the inability to maintain and support the same number of leaves. This leads to the leaves dropping. 

4. Root Health

Examining the roots of the plants can help detect overwatering. If your plants are grown in pots, you can take them out and inspect them against root rot.

To determine a healthy root, look closely at the roots. If they are strong and white, it means that they are healthy, but if they are mushy, black, or brown, it indicates root rotting. You may also perceive a nasty odor too. For severe root rotting, the stems may become swollen.

Note: Root rot is a deadly plant disease caused by overwatering. It occurs when plants have spent too much time in moist soil.

How To Fix An Overwatered Plant

To fix an overwatered plant, you need to stop watering the plant. Although this depends on the type of soil and plant, you can also reduce the rate of water in the plant until it has fully recovered.

Ensure there are no dead leaves around the plant to avoid burdening the plant roots; you can make holes in the container if it is plastic to enable the excess water to pass out.

Again, ensure that your pot has drainage.

See Also: How Often to Water Yucca Plants?

How To Fix A Plant With Root Rot

You can cure root rot medically by getting formulated products on the market.

However, you can do that on your own with the following steps;

• Inspect the root of the plants
• If you sense the presence of root rot, remove the part of the root infected (just a little)
• Since some parts of the roots have been removed, you can proceed to remove some of the leaves to help balance the discarded roots (remove the dying ones)
• If you use a pot, change the old pot or soak it in water after removing the soil