How to Tell if a Plant is Underwatered: Don't Let Lack of Water Ruin Your Hard Work in the Garden or Kill Your Houseplants
Underwatering plants can be devastating. Wilting, brown leaf tips, and a lackluster appearance are major warning signs. Don't wait any longer.
Not enough water is one of the most common reasons that plants are unhealthy, wilt, and die. It’s not always easy, even for expert gardeners, to get watering right.
Whether you are watering a garden or watering houseplants, it is important to keep plants properly hydrated. Some plants are quite drought-tolerant while others need close attention or you'll risk their rapid demise. To avoid or minimize the problems associated with under watering, know the signs of plants getting too little water.
Let's explore the risks of underwatering plants and how you can tell if your plants need a drink.
Risks of Underwatering Plants
The ultimate risk of too little water for a plant is death. Like animals, plants need water to function to thrive, and to live. Some of the most important reasons plants need water include:
- Maintaining rigidity and the ability to stay upright
- Engaging in photosynthesis to create energy and food
- Moving nutrients from the soil up the stem
Several factors determine how much you need to water plants, including the plant type, the climate, soil conditions, weather, and location. Unfortunately, there isn't a one-size-fits-all watering schedule you can adhere to.
It is best to keep an eye on the condition of your plants and adjust watering as needed. Houseplants often need less water in the winter months, but when days get longer, they need more water as they enter their growing stage. Additionally, if you have plants in a hot, sunny window, they will need more frequent watering.
Outdoors, it is crucial to keep an eye on the weather and adjust your garden watering as needed. Long, hot dry spells in the summer can spell disaster, especially for fruits and vegetable gardens. Fruiting plants need plenty of water to produce their yummy crops. A smart irrigation system can help you to manage watering, especially when you are on vacation. Our editors love the ImoLaza sprinkler control panel. The ImoLaza smart sprinkler controller, available from Amazon, allows you to control how much water your lawn gets and even helps you adjust by integrating local weather forecasts. And the RainPoint hose timer has the same smart functions but can be hooked up to any existing drip irrigation system you may already have!
Signs Plants Have Too Little Water
It may take some trial and error to figure out how much to water houseplants or garden plants. You can check soil moisture by poking a finger 1 to 2 inches (2.5 - 5 cm) into the soil. If soil is damp at that depth, you probably don't need to water. If it is dry, get your watering can ready. You can also measure soil moisture with a moisture meter like this one from Amazon.
As you work out the right amount and frequency of watering, use these clues to determine if you are under watering:
- Wilting. This is the classic sign of an under watered plant. Too little water causes a plant to lose turgor, the rigidity in cells and tissues. There are some diseases that can trigger wilting, but the easiest and most likely explanation is under watering.
- Dry soil. If the soil around a plant is dry, it may need more water. Exceptions to this are some succulents, like cacti, which don’t need much water because they can store it so well. If houseplant soil is really dry, you'll see it pull away from the edge of the pot.
- Dry, dead leaf tips. When a plant doesn’t get enough water, the tips and edges of leaves dry out and turn brown. Ultimately, entire leaves will brown and die.
- Slow growth. If you are chronically under watering a plant, but still giving it enough water to survive, growth will be slower than normal or expected. New growth, such as leaves, may be small.
- Visible footprints. For a sign that turf grass is not getting adequate water, look to your footprints. After you step on the grass, it should bounce back quickly. If the footprints remain visible for several minutes, the grass is too dry.
If you suspect signs in your plants indicate under watering, you can confirm it by watering them. They should revive, and if they do not, there could be another issue, such as a viral infection or fungal disease.
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