From my perspective, the leaves are my most communicative feature. When I am overwatered, my roots are essentially drowning. They cannot access the oxygen they need from the saturated soil, and they begin to rot. This rot prevents them from transporting water and nutrients to my stems and leaves. Consequently, my leaves will become soft, limp, and wilted. They may feel mushy to the touch and appear dull, often turning a pale green or yellow, starting with the older leaves lower down. In severe cases, you might see blisters or lesions (oedema) where cells have burst from taking in too much water.
Conversely, when I am underwatered, the problem is a simple lack of moisture. My entire system is dehydrated. My leaves will also wilt, but they do so in a very different way. They become dry, brittle, and crispy to the touch. They will often curl inward or upward in an attempt to reduce their surface area and conserve moisture. The wilting from thirst is a dramatic droop, but the leaves retain a papery, parched texture. The color typically fades to a lighter green before turning brown at the tips and edges, eventually becoming completely brown and desiccated.
My flowers are my pride, and their condition is a clear sign of your watering habits. An overwatered root system is a stressed and sick one. This stress directly impacts my ability to support reproduction. If I am overwatered, I will likely drop my flower buds before they even have a chance to open. Any existing blooms may become moldy, rot at the base, or fail to thrive, looking generally weak and discolored. My priority becomes survival, not flowering.
When I am underwatered, my survival instinct also kicks in, but the manifestation is different. I will direct the little water I have to my most essential tissues—the roots and main stems—sacrificing the extremities. My flower production will slow or stop altogether, and existing blooms will wilt and fade extremely quickly. The petals will become dry, crisp, and may shatter easily. The buds may abort and drop off because I simply do not have the water reserves to support them.
While you cannot always see it, the reality of my root zone is the ultimate truth. Overwatered soil is my nightmare. It is consistently cold, wet, and heavy. It may have a sour or musty smell, a tell-tale sign of anaerobic conditions and root rot. If you were to gently lift me from such soil, my roots would be dark brown or black, slimy, and fragile, falling apart easily. They are dying.
An underwatered environment is one of drought. The soil will pull away from the edges of the pot, become hard and compacted, and be extremely dry to the touch several inches down. My roots in this scenario are likely brittle, dry, and may also be dying, but from desiccation rather than decay. They are searching frantically for any hint of moisture but finding none.
My growth pattern tells a long-term story. Chronic overwatering stunts my growth severely. The rotten root system cannot support new growth, so you will see little to no new stems or leaves. The entire plant will look stunted, weak, and increasingly yellow. It is a slow decline.
Chronic underwatering also stunts my growth, but the pattern is different. I may put out new growth, but it will be often be small, sparse, and underwhelming. My overall appearance will be one of austerity and struggle; I am merely surviving, not thriving. I am conserving every last drop of water, so lavish growth is a luxury I cannot afford.
