It’s a dilemma: the same ill effects can be caused by too much or too little waterBeginners, I get it. The world of gardening can sometimes seem like it’s full of vague, even paradoxical advice. Bright but indirect light, moist but well-drained soil… the list goes on. Yet perhaps the biggest paradox of them all is when it comes to wilting leaves, which can rather unhelpfully be a sign either of overwatering or of underwatering, making dealing with them a perplexing problem. So, here is my attempt to cut through the confusion surrounding what I think is probably the number one cause of houseplant failure.It helps to understand some basic biology. Plants are made up largely of water. In fact, their structures, no matter how complex, are all composed of thousands of cells that are essentially like little water balloons. When these cells lose water to the air around them, they start to soften and shrink, eventually leading to a collapse of their structures. This is the classic wilted appearance we all associate with drought stress. So far, so good, but why would overwatering also cause this reaction? Continue reading…
Source : theguardian.com
Read more…Why watering can make wilting worse
