How can you tell the difference between overwatering and underwatering?

Danny Lenderman:

Hi, I’m Danny Lenderman with the Enchanted Forest. Today we’re going to talk about over watering and under watering on plants, and I’ll try to explain some of the differences to you so you’ll understand what you’re looking at. On this first one, this is a Brunfelsi. You can see the wilted foliage, no doubt. Looks like it would need water yet we checked the soil and the soil is moist. So fell the pot, it’s heavy, so it’s got water, more than likely over watered. So don’t always assume that something’s dry when it’s wilted, it could be too wet. This next one is a Salvia. This is wilted because it is dry. The soil is dry, there’s no moisture in there so it just needs a drink. Soil is light, pot’s very light to pick up. So that would indicate being too dry, so that one needs some water. Here’s another one, this is the White Candles. This is a shade loving plant, but that foliage burn right there is from too much sun. Not over or under watering, just too much sun in general. So some things that need the shade and make sure you keep them in the shade because a sunburn is a definite problem.