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If the plant was flooded during the day

If you were able to quickly figure out that the plant got too much water (for example, you remembered that you had already watered it recently or the pot was on an open balcony and was flooded with rainwater), you need to act quickly. If everything is done correctly, the damage to the flower will be minimal.

1. Pull the flower out of the pot

Even if the pots have drain holes, the soil needs to dry out quickly, so make sure you get as much air as possible. If the flower grew in a pot without drainage holes, it will have to be removed from there — otherwise the roots will rot. At the same time, it is worth taking advantage of this moment to transplant the plant into a container that will release excess water.

2. Soak up excess in a paper towel

Fold a paper towel in several layers and press it to the ground. Place the same absorbent pad under the bottom of the pot. Change paper when wet. This will significantly speed up the drying process of the soil and reduce damage to the roots.

3. Loosen the soil

The next step is to dry out the soil in the middle of the pot. Take knitting needles or thin wooden sticks and carefully make deep holes in the ground through which air will flow. Be careful not to damage the plant. When the soil dries out after a couple of days, do not forget to sprinkle these holes, as parasites like to settle in them.

4. Observe

After all the steps to save the flower have been taken, it remains for a while to reduce the usual frequency of watering and observe. A small amount of fallen leaves should not scare you — this is a normal reaction to overfilling. But if the fall does not stop, and the trunk seems soft to the touch, the flower needs a transplant.

If drying didn’t help

Sometimes, even with a timely reaction to the flood of soil, the plant begins to hurt. The cause of the disease can also be simply too abundant watering. And cacti and succulents often get sick due to the fact that they were watered a little bit, but too often. If the flower shows symptoms such as constantly falling leaves, fungus and mold, parasites, or softening of the trunk, it is urgent to transplant it.

1. Buy a new soil and pot

Harmful bacteria start up in the flooded soil, so it will have to be changed entirely. The pot itself should either be replaced or washed very thoroughly with soap and water and rinsed with boiling water to make sure it is sterile.

2. Clean the roots and inspect them

Having taken the plant out of the pot, begin to carefully free the roots from the earthen clod. Examine them: most likely, you will find rotten parts. They will need to be cut with sharp scissors and treated with charcoal. Let the plant lie in the air for about a day before transplanting into the ground.

3. Examine the leaves

Excess moisture often leads to the appearance of fungus or parasites on the above-ground part of the plant. Inspect the flower, cut off the damaged parts, treat with pesticides if necessary. If you don’t want to work with chemicals, use neem oil in a spray bottle — you can find it in flower shops. It fights insects well and is generally beneficial for plants.

4. Save a part of the plant if all the roots are dead

Sometimes it happens that it is too late to save the whole flower. If most of the roots have died, you can try to grow a new plant from the remains. For example, if you flooded a cactus, cut off the rotten part with a sharp knife and put the surviving top into the ground. Water a little once every couple of days, and when the roots appear and the trunk becomes stronger, return to normal watering for cacti — once every 3-4 weeks or less. You can also try to save the succulent by detaching a couple of healthy leaves and letting them germinate in a dry and bright place, then to root in the ground. In monstera, it is enough to cut off a healthy branch and put it in a vase of water until the roots appear.