From our foundational perspective beneath the soil, the difference between too much and too little water is a matter of life and suffocation. When overwatered, our soil environment becomes a waterlogged prison. The vital air pockets that normally hold oxygen are flooded, and we begin to literally drown. Our fine root hairs, responsible for absorbing water and nutrients, rot away in the anaerobic conditions, turning soft, brown, and mushy. Without these delicate structures, we cannot drink, even though surrounded by water, and we become weak and susceptible to soil-borne diseases. Conversely, when underwatered, our world becomes a dry, compacted desert. Our roots must desperately grow deeper and wider in a frantic search for any hint of moisture, expending immense energy. If the search fails, our entire root system desiccates, becomes brittle, and can no longer sustain the plant above.
We stems are the pillars of the plant, and water pressure (turgor pressure) is what keeps us upright and rigid. Underwatering causes a catastrophic loss of this pressure. Our cells deflate, and we become limp, unable to support the weight of the leaves and flowers. We wilt and droop pathetically, a clear signal of our thirst. Overwatering, however, presents a more deceptive and sinister problem. The rot that begins in the roots travels upwards, infecting the base of the stems. We become soft, discolored (often black or brown), and weak at our base. We may feel slimy to the touch, and eventually, we will collapse entirely at the crown, as our structural integrity is eaten away from the inside out.
We leaves are the most vocal organs, displaying the clearest signs of distress. In an underwatered state, our primary goal is conservation. We curl inward or feel crispy and dry to the touch in a desperate attempt to reduce surface area and minimize water loss. Our vibrant green color fades to a pale, dull hue before we turn yellow, then brown, and ultimately die, starting at the edges and tips. When overwatered, our story is different. The initial yellowing is often uniform across the leaf, not just at the edges. We become soft, limp, and bloated with excess water, feeling fleshy rather than crisp. In severe cases, the constant moisture invites fungal diseases, which manifest as unsightly black or brown spots with yellow halos on our surface.
Our ultimate purpose is to flower and produce the next generation. Both water extremes prevent us from achieving this goal. Underwatering forces the plant into survival mode, abandoning the energy-intensive process of blooming. We will produce few, if any, flowers. Those that do manage to form will be small, stunted, and may drop prematurely. The petals will be dry and may brown at the edges soon after opening. Overwatering also halts our reproductive efforts. The plant is too busy fighting root rot and disease to allocate resources for flowering. Any existing flower buds may fail to open, turning black and dropping from the weakened stems.
