Water is one of the elements that all plants need to grow. However, when crops are overwatered it can turn into a huge problem that can lead to the death of your culture. Find in this article why an excess of water can be dangerous and some tips for appropriate watering. Remember you can always ask any inquiries that will be replied to by our i-Plant Nutrition experts.
Thinking that the more you water your plants, the healthier and best fertilized it will be is a common mistake. Actually, the method you chose to water your crops is a decisive factor in the success of your farm. Before selecting the most suitable for your farm, we recommend you to have a look at the article about “Types of irrigation systems” you can find on this site to make the best decision. Why is overwatering that dangerous for the crops? One of the main factors is that root plants are responsible not only to take water but also for oxygen from the soil. In ideal situations, the soil particles will leave some space between them that will be filled by oxygen. Those air pockets are essential for the roots to take up oxygen, but when water is occupying all the available space, the roots get literally drowned.
Observable symptoms
- Wilting plants in wet soil. Paradoxically, one of the main symptoms that you will observe if
overwatering your farm is the wilting of the crop. However, you will see that the plants look wilted but
the soil is wet. In this case, you can try to rescue them by letting the soil get dry and start watering
from that point on only when it is dry to the touch.
- Scars and indentations. The leaves and stems will give you a great overview of the situation. The cells that form those tissues will be responsible for maintaining the tension of the excess of water that they are receiving by expanding their dimensions and suffering great stress. But at some point, they want to be able to hold it, bursting or enduring a rupture that will be observable due to the formation of white to dark scars and possibly indentations on the top of the leaves.
- Root rots. This characteristic can only be observed by uprooting a plant or part of the root structure. Apart from the asphyxiation due to the lack of oxygen, overwater plants have to deal with another struggle, which is fungus proliferation. Wet and warm environments are ideal for fungus development, which will use not only sediments in the soil but mainly the root of the crops as organic material. They will decompose the root structures until they become totally incapable of fulfilling their transport function. How to avoid this problem? In addition to the irrigation system selection, there is something else you can do to avoid overwatering situations.
- Adapt the watering to the season. Changes in the environment, for outdoors crops, will affect directly water availability. Plan a strategy to adjust the right amount of water you should get to your crops according to the season, making clear differences between the dry and wet periods of the year.
- The right moment of the day. The intensity of the sunshine can affect the water loos to evaporation and produce scorch damage. To prevent it, the best times will be the morning and late afternoon. Using the local forecast information could be helpful to make last-minute changes when required.
- New technology. Nowadays it is possible to find satellite soil moisture information. It will give you more precise advice about the requirements of your crop. Make sure you keep an eye on the news that in the future we will be able to offer you from i-Plant Nutrition, we never stop working on putting the best and more advanced tools for growing plants in your hands.
