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If your garden lacks life and the plants seem to be wilting, your plants are probably dehydrated and need a little extra care. It is fairly easy to spot dryness in plants and there are some obvious and some not-so-obvious reasons for dehydration in plants. However, with proper knowledge and care, a dehydrated plant can be cured.

Causes of Dehydration

Inadequate watering is usually the main reason for dehydrated plants. Sometimes plants become dehydrated due to careless gardeners who do not water plants enough. At other times, plants may require plenty of rains and despite a gardener’s best efforts, if it is a drought prone region, plants may eventually experience dryness.

While lack of adequate water is usually the primary cause for dry plants, unsuitable weather conditions are equally harmful. Plants often dehydrate due to dry weather conditions. Often during hot, dry summers, the moisture from the soil and plants completely evaporates. Extremely cold temperatures can dehydrate plants as well. Just the way a hot summer makes plants thirsty, cold winter breezes can strip a plant of its moisture and leave it dehydrated.

Lack of adequate moisture in the soil could be the reason behind your dry plants. This may be due to irregular watering but this may also be due to poor quality soil. Plants require the right type of soil with enough moisture content otherwise they are at risk of becoming dehydrated. Dryness in plants can also be a result of inadequate nutrients in the soil so it is important that you check this. Your plants can become easily dehydrated due to salt stress so you must ensure the soil has just the right amount of salt in it.

Symptoms of Dryness

The first signs of dryness appear on the top of a plant and begin on the outside. As the plant progressively dehydrates, the symptoms will move downwards towards the roots and inwards, closer to the stems. Spotting a dehydrated garden is fairly easy with plants usually showing the following symptoms:

• Leaves become limp and brownish at edges
• Plants start to wilt
• Stunted growth
• Shriveled flowers
• Fruits and flowers drop
• Plants turn yellowish, especially lawns
• Plants begin to die in extreme cases

Treatment of Dehydrated Plants

Regularly watering plants is the most obvious cure for a dry plant. Learn a little about the plants in your garden because some might require buckets of daily water while others may only need to be watered every once in a while. Proper watering usually does the trick during the hotter months and daily watering in the evenings can reduce evaporation.

Adding mulch to flower beds and shrubs early in the season is also a good way to prepare for dry seasons, both hot and cold. Water-retentive gel is also popularly used in container plants or hanging baskets.

In freezing temperatures, plants must be watered very carefully to avoid dehydration. It is best to water plants monthly when temperatures are not so freezing and the ideal time to do it is early in the day or evening. It is important that the plants do not become over-hydrated or the ice will cause further damage. Watering earlier in the day gives enough time for the water to reach at least six to eight inches deep into the soil while at the same time giving the soil enough time to soak in the moisture before night. This does the dual job of beating dehydration due to the cold as well as maintaining soil moisture.

As a gardening enthusiast, it is important to check your soil to ensure it is right for your plants. Some soils are very moisture retentive while others do not soak up water very well so you will need to tailor your watering according to the soil type. You must also ensure your plants receive adequate nutrients from the soil, especially salt or they will become easily dehydrated. Your local nursery should be able to suggest ways to improve your soil but adding some organic matter to the soil usually helps.

If you like to grow delicate plants, you might want to consider a greenhouse for better protection. Greenhouses are good for temperature control and provide tender plants the protection they need without leaving them at the risk of dehydrating outside.

Last but not the least, while there may be no cure for a drought, there are plants that will not suffer from dehydration in such a region. If you live in a similar area, the best way to keep the dryness out of plants may be to opt for xerophytic plants in your garden.