Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
kaotickelly

HELP! Overwatered

kaotickelly
12 years ago

Hello Well Today I was watering my W. Robustas and I overwatered one of them. Opps I dont know what i was thinking. But The water over flowed out of the drain dish and now the soil is completly soggy! Is their anything I could do? I put it in to the sun so maybe it could also dri it out or something then I tilted the pot to drain the remaining water out. I Dont know Is it in danger or should i just not water it for awhile?

Comments (8)

  • mastiffhoo
    12 years ago

    I'm not an expert, but I think as long as you have not been over-watering the palm extensively, it should be ok. My personal opinion is to simply let it dry out and continue normal watering from here out. Also, you may not want the roots to freeze (not sure what the weather is like there this time of year). Good luck.

  • wetsuiter
    12 years ago

    If its not been in direct sun (inside) and you set it out suddenly you can fry the leaves, further complicating the dilemma. Just let it dry out naturally. If you have it in a good draing soil and pot with holes, it should be fine.

  • us_marine
    12 years ago

    What are the temps like where your at? If they are above freezing, you will be fine. Just let it dry out before watering again. They can take wet soil for a while over here in cali, and our winters are wet and cool.
    Good luck :)

    - US_Marine

  • kaotickelly
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hey thanks guys, Yeah I think its going to be okay. It is in a pot inside so I dont have to worry about the roots Freezing. But the Temps here during the day are like 73 degrees F, and at night like 40 Degrees F. So they arent outside. Yeah I havent really been Watering It Like everyday, Maybe like once a week or every two weeks just to keep the soil moist so it wont completly dry out for the soil to get hard. But Thanks alot guys! I got freaked out for a minute there Hahaha. Thanks

  • us_marine
    12 years ago

    I'd put them outside, but in filtered light first so no sun burn. They would like it better outside than inside, especially if the temps are getting that warm.

    - US_Marine

  • tropicalzone7
    12 years ago

    I think it will be fine! And temperatures in the 70s with lows in the 40s should be good enough for the palms to stay outside (just bring them in if it goes into the 30s just in case it does freeze which could damage tender seedlings or at least slow them down). And dont put them in full sun right away. A few weeks of shade and then slowly adjusting it to a sun over a period of about a month is best since they havent really lived outdoors yet.
    -Alex

  • earthworm73
    12 years ago

    Kelly I think the bigger picture is if you have to keep palms in pots you have to ensure the potting mix has excellent drainage. In theory you could water everyday if your mix has excellent drainage. To accomplish this your mix need to comprised of mostly large materials such as bark (the best IMO), perlite, pumice, gravel, ect. A simple but effective recipe for a mix is a ratio of 5-1-1 of pine bark fines or small nuggets, peat or peat based mix, and perlite. This mix has worked well for me. Your roots need to "breathe" and them sitting in a layer of perched water i.e. a layer of water that will not completly drain and remains in the lower part of the mix, is not ideal and can lead to root rot. Also instead of watering on a schedule use wodden skewers or dowls ease them down into the mix to root level pull them back out. If it is damp then there is still moisture availible. If it is dry then water. Check out the container gardening thread for more information on fast draining potting mixes.

  • kaotickelly
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hey guys thanks for the tips they are both doing fine. I just got alittle freaked out, and i think my soil is fine it is made from wood chips. and it is well draining so i think i have nothing to worry about. and plus they made it this far so I think Im doing something right haha. But thanks guys ill keep you posted if something dramatic happens to them, lets hope hope not but its getting warm and they are growing at a fast rate. the new leaf is almost fully grown out and it started to peak out earlier this week so i think that fast growing. lol
    thanks guys

Sponsored
Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers
Average rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars49 Reviews
Columbus Area's Luxury Design Build Firm | 17x Best of Houzz Winner!