Garden Pests Series: U…

Thoughts and musings

Garden Pests Series: U…

Lewis | May 11, 2015 | 0 Comments

…is for Under-watering.

This week could is looking likely to be the penultimate week of our Garden Pests Series! It has been a pleasure to bring it to you, but now is not the time for farewells! We’ve still got a few letters to get through before we hit ‘Z’. This issue is for the letter ‘U’, which stands for under-watering in our unique, self-compiled list. We covered the common gardening problem of over-watering earlier in the Series, as it is usually more damaging to plants than under-watering. However, when it comes to the health of your plants, every potential danger should all be ranked equally and as such, under-watering and the effects of it will now be explored.

When a plant does not have access to enough water, the situation makes the plant conserve what little water it has by keeping the stalk green and the roots moist, but eventually discolouration, wilting and drought-like symptoms will occur. As a general rule of thumb, indoor plants are more susceptible to overwatering whereas outdoor plants carry a higher danger with under-watering. The latter of which is even more common with plants that are grown in pots. However, this is only for your reference; this isn’t to say indoor plants can’t be under-watered and outdoor plants can’t be overwatered. This would be a great place to start, but if you are sure there is a watering problem, but cannot pinpoint which ails your plants, you can determine which one by carefully examining the plant.

Under-Watering Symptoms

  • Slower-than-usual plant growth
  • Edges of leaves turn brown and become dry
  • Leaves or flowers may drop from the plant
  • Plant may fail to flower entirely

Usually, the lower leaves of the plant tend to suffer first, but please check this information online for specific plants; again, this only a rule of thumb! These leaves will discolour to a yellowish hue, start to curl and eventually the plant will dry up and die. If you notice any of the symptoms listed above – and let’s pray you notice them early – ensure that you supply your plant with enough water. However, a common problem at this point is, ironically, to overwater your plant! Please make sure you are supplying your plant the correct volume.

Of course, under-watering of outdoor plants is more common during the hotter Summer months, so despite the fact you should keep an eye on the potential of under-watering all year round, perhaps May-August is when you should be extra vigilant. Therefore, to help prevent the possible, we recommend you check the soil moisture at least twice a week. You can do this using a moisture meter, which are widely available online and are reasonably inexpensive. When the top couple of inches of soil begin to feel dry, water the plant before the soil dries out completely.

I hope you enjoyed this article, keep in touch for more interesting material from Oakleigh Manor!

 

 

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