You can gently take the plant out of its original pot and place the root ball on top of a layer of newspaper. The newspaper will help to absorb excess water. You may need to change the newspapers a few times until it has removed as much of the water as possible.
To dry out soil quickly, you can apply hydrated lime to the soil, add compost and then turn the soil thoroughly to aerate it.
Overwatered plants can sometimes recover on their own, but it depends on the plant and the extent of the overwatering. If the roots have rotted, the plant will likely not recover. However, if the overwatering has only caused the leaves to wilt, the plant may be able to bounce back.
Yellow leaves, mushy or loose bark on the plant stems and molds that appear on the top of the soil are also indicators of overwatering.
1. If a plant is overwatered, it will likely develop yellow or brown limp, droopy leaves as opposed to dry, crispy leaves (which are a sign of too little water). Wilting leaves combined with wet soil usually mean that root rot has set in and the roots can no longer absorb water.
Using a hairdryer directly on the soil is an easy way of removing that excess moisture easily. However, there are some things to take into consideration when doing so. When directed at the soil the dryer will only remove the moisture from the surface having the rest of the soil wet.
It may take an hour or more to thoroughly re-wet the soil. Be careful not to leave pots soaking in standing water continuously. Check them after an hour or two and remove them when they are hydrated.
After a drought, it's much better for the soil to get a slow and steady rainfall than a heavy amount of rain in a short amount of time. When the soil is too dry, it cannot absorb water in a quick amount of time, which can lead to flooding.
Make sure the holes are free of roots or blockages so water can drain away freely. If your pots get waterlogged frequently, consider drilling more holes in the pot or transplanting into a more suitable container.
Signs of root rot are slow growth, mushy stems, and wilting, yellow, distorted leaves (especially when the plant has been well watered, as wilting leaves can also be a sign of a dry plant).
Adding inorganic amendments such as perlite or pumice to a houseplant potting mix can make a huge difference to drainage, and help the soil dry out much faster.
Plants growing in soil that is too wet suffer from a lack of oxygen which leads to the death of roots and a loss of vigor in the plant. Stunted slow growth with yellowing leaves is a symptom of over watering. Plants may suffer from leaf scorch or leaf burn.
If your potting soil has been sitting in your shed since last year in an opened bag and it's gotten wet, toss it. If it somehow stayed bone dry, it should be OK to use.
To stop that from happening, just add a tiny drop of liquid soap to your watering can or a teensy squirt of soap on top of the dry soil in your pot before you point a hose at it. The soap breaks the surface tension of the water and that lets the moisture soak into the soil mixture rather than beading up on top of it.
Rehydrating potted plants is tricky and regular watering won't rehydrate a potted plant if the potting soil has shrunken away from the sides of the container. Instead of absorbing into the soil, water will run straight through the pot.
If your soil is constantly wet, there won't be enough air pockets for your plants and the roots will not be able to breathe properly. This can cause your roots to rot and, therefore, your plant will suffer. Some symptoms of overwatered plants include dropping leaves, both new and old, at the same time.
Generally speaking, plants like to dry out in between feedings says Erin Marino of the Sill. “If soil is left too wet for too long, it can cause root rot,” Marino says. “That's what we call over watering. On the other hand, if your plant's soil is consistently too dry you're likely under watering.
Water pools around plants when tha soil is overly compacted and when its composition is too high in clay and too low in organic material.
One of the quickest, first signs of overwatering your plants is to observe occurs at the tip of the leaf. If the tip of the leaf is turning brown this is a sign of overwatering. Too little water will result in your plant's leaves feeling dry and crispy to the touch while too much water results in soft and limp leaves.
Look out for signs of overwatering – including a limp plant, yellowing leaves, or dropping leaves. If you see these signs, test the soil with your fingers. It should be pretty obvious if it's soggy! Stop watering and let the soil dry out.
You can do the ball test to see if the time is right. Dig some soil and form a tight little ball in your hands. Press your fingers into it. If it stays together it's too wet.