Have you ever noticed your plants become droopy when they are thirsty? It鈥檚 self-evident with plants that have thick succulent leaves. Such a shriveled appearance may indicate health issues or just be a normal phenomenon. Speaking the language of biology, a droopy look is a lack of turgor, which occurs due to dehydration. Learn how to spot watering issues and why your plant has low turgor.
The meaning of the word
So, what does the word turgor mean? In a nutshell, turgor is water pressure inside a cell of any plant. The fluid presses the cell membrane against the cell wall so that turgor is what makes living plant tissue rigid.
Low turgor, in other words, low water pressure, is what makes your plant soft and lifeless. It鈥檚 the first sign of dehydration. When a plant hasn鈥檛 been watered for some time, most of the water evaporates through leaves. The less water in the cells is there, the less firm the plant is.
Turgor, or plant turgidity, has numerous functions. The main one is to keep the plant upright. The others include helping the plant penetrate soil medium, open flower buds, unwrap young leaves, and many others.
Naturally, every healthy plant has firm leaves and a stem. When water evaporates, they become softer. When a plant receives water, turgor comes to the norm. This cycle is completely healthy. Significant loss of turgor or inability to fix it is what should draw your attention.
Reasons for weak turgor
Low turgor happens because of a lack of water. And to fix it, you just need to water your plant. Nonetheless, underwatering isn鈥檛 always the reason. Here are some other turgor problems.
Overwatering. Sometimes, stressed by overwatering, roots can not absorb water, which results in low turgor and wrinkled leaves. The worst scenario is root rot. The only remedy is a proper watering schedule and repotting the plant with the affected root system.
Excessive fertilizing may also stress the roots. Therefore, nourish your plants mindfully. Ensure you stick to the fertilizing rules given by the manufacturer and keep in mind that sick plants don鈥檛 need nutrients since they are not growing actively. Usually, less is more in terms of fertilizing.
Rootbound plants are often susceptible to root disease, causing low turgor. Repot your plant every 1-3 years, depending on its growth speed. Don鈥檛 allow the soil to get compacted and the plant to overgrow its pot too much.
Water impurities such as lime and chlorine can easily eradicate helpful fungi and bacteria present on roots. As a result, the roots can鈥檛 feed the plant sufficiently and transfer water as they used to. If you see some white or yellowish build-ups on the soil, know that it鈥檚 lime, and not every plant likes it in the soil. In this case, use filtered water instead of tap water.
Excess lighting forces the plant to photosynthesize more, evaporating vast amounts of water. Often, plants don鈥檛 have enough time to replenish the in-cell water reserves even when the soil is still moist. Thus, a plant may look droopy in midday but come back to life in the evening or night.
Reasons for high turgor
For some plants, high turgor can be a problem too. For instance, haworthias get cracks on their thick succulent leaves if the soil doesn鈥檛 dry out entirely between waterings. Other succulent plants are no exception. Echeveria and pachiphitum species are notorious for leaf cracking. The list of reasons is not that long.
As we mentioned before, don鈥檛 water the plant. Low turgor naturally isn鈥檛 harmful, but regular overwatering is. Probably, leaf cracks are the most sparing consequences of soggy soil. All succulents need watering only when the soil is dry. Other plants usually prefer soil to dry out a bit at the top.
Water, like other substances, tends to expand when the temperature is rising. This process also happens inside the plant cells. Normal turgor increases with the temperature resulting in cracks. As a result, plants in the wild nature seldom have perfect leaves.
Watering in midday also results in turgor issues. The temperature can be not that high, but solar activity is the strongest in the afternoon. Roots absorb water, raising turgor to its maximum, and the sun鈥檚 heat expands the water even more, tearing the tissues.
A proper watering schedule is a guarantee of perfect turgor level
Turgor might seem as a challenging scientific concept, but it is a kind of a term you need to know. Once you see the plants are droopy, the turgor is low. To fix it and keep your plants in their best shape, you need to follow simple rules. The main rule is proper watering. Every plant needs its own approach, but all of them have some common traits.
The soil is dry? Water your plant! The soil is moist, but the plant is still wrinkled for a couple of days? Don鈥檛 water and repot! When do I need to water my plant? It depends on the soil, lighting, and, of course, your plant species. Therefore, it鈥檚 always great to have a schedule for every plant, so the water pressure in cells isn鈥檛 too low or high. Try out our premium if you want to get a precise watering and fertilizing schedule to keep the plant turgor in the norm.
