Living · 6 pages · 12 min
Why overwatering kills roots
Roots need air in the pores, and a mix that stays full of water drowns them.
When the purchase is complete, return to the original window. It will refresh.
From the opening
Overwatering kills roots because it fills the pores in the mix with water and leaves out the air those roots need. The plant wilts, and the wilt looks like thirst, while the root is dying of saturation rather than of dryness. The opening covers pores full of water, not air, why the leaves wilt anyway, and rot as the second stage.
The rest of the brief — the later sections and the reading notes — opens after Stripe confirms payment.
Inside
- Pores full of water, not air
- Why the leaves wilt anyway
- Rot as the second stage
- Wetland plants are the exception
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Root respiration and oxygen in soil pores
- Saturation injury in container plants