Overwatered Plant Recovery

Yellowing

• One of the first signs of overwatering, a yellowing of foliage indicates that the plant is not receiving all the nutrients it needs, especially nitrogen. If the leaves have yellowed but have not begun to wilt, you may try simply cutting back on the amount of moisture you add to the plant's container. Ensure that water drains properly from the hole at the bottom of the container. After watering, wait until the top of the potting medium dries out before adding more moisture.

Check

• When your overwatered plant shows signs of wilting, take it out of its pot and look at the roots. An overwatered plant develops so-called, "water roots", long, thin roots that have fewer hairs than the roots of a healthy plant. Moving the plant to a shady site may help it recover. Move it back to a sunny spot once signs of recovery start to appear.

Root Rot

• Overwatering can cause root rot, a serious disease caused by various fungi. The plant's roots will exhibit decay and show black tips. You can try to save a plant suffering from root rot, if the damage is not too extensive, by putting it in a new container with fresh, uncontaminated potting soil. Cut away any diseased roots before putting the plant in the new pot. Treat the old container with a bleach solution before using it again.

Tips

• Plants suffering from overwatering usually shows signs of improvement about seven days after you take corrective measures, if they are going to recover. Some plants with badly damaged roots won't respond and will need discarding. Avoid applying fertilizer when attempting to save an overwatered plant. Fertilizing can interfere with the recovery process. Loosening the potting medium in a plant's container by setting the pot on its side and giving it a tap, can give a plant stressed from excess moisture much-needed pockets of air and aid recovery.