Overwatering vs. Underwatering: How to Tell the Difference

Push a finger about 3–5 cm into the soil. If it is wet and the plant is wilting, overwatering is likely. If it is bone dry, underwatering is likely. Lifting the pot helps too: a dry pot feels noticeably light.

Slide the plant out of its pot. Healthy roots are firm and pale. Rotting roots are brown or black, soft, and may smell unpleasant. Very dry, brittle roots and a tight root ball suggest chronic underwatering or a plant that needs a bigger pot.

Plants use far more water in bright, warm months than in winter. Rather than watering every Sunday, check the soil and water thoroughly only when the top few centimetres are dry (for most common houseplants). Succulents and cacti prefer the soil to dry out almost completely.

Many overwatering problems are really drainage problems. Always use pots with drainage holes. If you love a decorative pot without holes, use it as an outer cover and keep the plant in a plastic nursery pot inside it, tipping out any water that collects.