Over watering is a huge issue for many new gardeners. Over watering comes from the idea that plants need lots of water to survive. And although this is true for some plants, it isn't the case every species. Sometimes that line of thinking will lead us to actually drowning our plants. So, the first thing you'll want to do is get informed about the kind of plant you have. If you purchase your plant at places like Home Depot or Lows (didn't they go out of business?) you'll find very clear instructions on your plants watering and sun light needs. If you buy your plants at a farmers market or outdoor nursery where perhaps the tags aren't so clear, make sure you ask the sell about the watering and sunlight needs of the plant. You shouldn't really wing it. You can wing it during salsa night at your high school reunion but you shouldn't wing your plants water needs. Hope that makes sense.
Another difficult part of knowing that you're over watering your plants is that over watering often resembles wilting or the plant not getting enough water. So you'll have to pay extra close attention to the signs your plants are showing.
Signs you're over watering your plants:
1. The leaves are turning yellow. Yes. Leaves turn yellow when you are adding too much water. This is because you are choking your plant and the leaves are slowly dying which turn them yellow and eventually drown. The same happens when the leaves don't get enough water, they slowly die and wither. You will notice however, that when plants are over water, the withering of the leaf is much more damp and droopy. When plant leaves wither because of under watering, the leaves are brittle and crumble easily.
2. Your plant has an order to it. I'm not talking about that great lavender or jasmine smell. I'm talking about an offensive order coming from your plant. This isn't actually an over watering issue. It's an issue to do with your pot! Far too many times, I've noticed that pots containing flowers or succulents (any kind of plant, really) do not have drainage holes. Drainage is so important to having a healthy plant. Your plant will die within weeks of your container does not have proper drainage. Check your pot.
3. Your plant develops brown spots. The brown spots are actually blisters that form because the cell wall of you plant has absorbed too much water and the cells begin to burst. This bursting of cells will lead to your plant having brown spots all over it. Make sure your plants are brown-spot free.
For more information on finding your particular type of plant, if you don't know what kind of plant you have, check out EasyBloom.com
The process by which plants develop brown spots is call Edema.
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