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Overwatering

Too much water drives the air out of the soil and the roots begin to suffocate and rot. The plant then wilts as if it were dry, which is why it so often gets more water. It is the most common way house and container plants die.

Water & drainage
A snake plant with soft, yellowing leaves collapsing in soggy compost
A snake plant with soft, yellowing leaves collapsing in soggy compost

What it looks like

The signs look like thirst, but the soil tells the truth: it is wet a finger's depth down.

  • Older leaves turn yellow and soft, not crisp, and drop at a touch.
    Yellow lower leaves Older leaves turn yellow and soft, not crisp, and drop at a touch.
  • The plant droops although the compost is damp, because the roots can no longer take up water.
    Wilting in wet soil The plant droops although the compost is damp, because the roots can no longer take up water.
  • Succulents and snake plants turn translucent and mushy where they meet the soil.
    Soft, dark stem base Succulents and snake plants turn translucent and mushy where they meet the soil.
  • Waterlogged compost smells stale or rotten, and may grow green algae or attract fungus gnats.
    Sour-smelling compost Waterlogged compost smells stale or rotten, and may grow green algae or attract fungus gnats.

How to confirm it

Three quick checks separate it from drought and disease.

  1. Feel the soil

    Push a finger 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) into the compost. Wet or cold and clammy means overwatering; dust-dry means thirst.

  2. Lift the pot

    A pot that feels heavy days after watering is holding too much water. Check for a drainage hole and a full saucer.

  3. Look at the roots

    Slide the plant out. Healthy roots are pale and firm; rotting ones are brown, soft and slough their skin when pulled.

What to do

Stop watering first, then give the roots air again.

  1. Stop watering

    Let the top third of the compost dry before you water again. Empty saucers and outer pots now.

  2. Improve the drainage

    Move the plant into a pot with holes. Add grit or perlite to heavy compost for plants that like it lean.

  3. Cut out rotten roots

    If roots are brown and mushy, trim them back to firm tissue and repot in fresh, barely damp compost.

  4. Hold off feeding

    Feed only once new growth appears. Damaged roots cannot take up fertiliser and it burns them further.

Prevent it next time

  • Water when the compost tells you to, not on a fixed day.
  • Use pots with drainage holes, and never leave them standing in water.
  • Water less in winter, when growth slows and light is low.
  • Match the compost to the plant: gritty for succulents and Mediterranean herbs.

What not to do

Do not water a wilting plant before checking the soil. If the compost is wet, more water finishes off the roots.

In the growing guides

Where the guides mention it, with plant-specific advice.

Sources

  1. Waterlogging and flooding, Royal Horticultural Society
  2. Leaf damage on houseplants, Royal Horticultural Society