Some people go outside early in the morning, because they are either weird early birds or have to because of their job. Everyone has seen a plant–probably grass in some nearby yard–in the early morning though. Those plants are also almost always wet. So why are plants wet in the morning? Also, a moment for everyone who is not an early bird but still has to get up super early.
Oh and uh… it’s also not the song.
It’s Just Water
If you thought dew was weird like, plant juice, or something that’s unfortunately not the case. Dew is actually just the water that’s in the air around you, and formed when it condenses around a plant.
The reason dew typically forms just during dawn or evening is just because that’s when it’s typically pretty cool, and it hasn’t gotten warm enough for the water to evaporate away. It’s typically then that the ambient temperature drops below the dew point–which is the temperature at which the air must be cooled before it can be saturated with water vapor. The more humid it is, the higher the dew point is. Once the temperature drops below the dew point, the amount of moisture that can be in the air goes down. Since it can’t be in the air, the water vapor becomes liquid and condenses onto a relatively cold surface.
Some of you are probably sitting there thinking this is the exact same thing that happens when the outside of a glass gets wet seemingly spontaneously. That’s because the process by which dew forms is exactly the same. Like your glass windows, plants are poor thermal conductors and don’t heat back up as quickly when they’re cooled. This puts them in a position to be relatively cooler than the ambient air–allowing water vapor to condense.
What About Indoors? Are My Plants Sweating?
That’s not very exciting, and you’re probably now wondering about indoor plants. The inside of your house is probably a lot less humid than the outside (most of the time), and indoor houseplants can still be wet in the morning. You might be asking if your plants are sweating–which short answer they’re not because they can’t, but they kind of can.
Two things drive this process, one of which is transpiration. This is how water goes through a plant, from the roots up. Leaves all have these little pores in them, and these powers allow plants to exploit water potential to move water through them. The central principle is that water potential wants to be at equilibrium between two systems, where the plant is one system and the ambient air around it (aka the rest of the world) is another. Water potential generally wants to be equal between them. It’s like when you have a balloon, and then puncture it. Air comes out because pressure within the balloon is higher than the air around it.
Anyway, when the water potential in the air is lower than that of the plant, water moves from the plant outside–exiting through the pores on the leaves (they’re called stoma, by the way). This, very simplistically, pulls the water in the plant up through it from the roots.
There’s also guttation, which is closer to plant juice. Guttation is when sap from the plant forms at the edges of a plant’s leaves. It also happens at night when transpiration doesn’t normally occur. When there’s a lot of moisture in the soil, the roots will continue to absorb water, and water just accumulates in the plant. Eventually, this forces some water out and you get little droplets.
Speaking of plants, see if you know the parts of them we eat often here.
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FAQs
Causes of Water Drops on Plants
Why are indoor plants wet in the morning? ›
Guttation occurs at night or in the early morning when soil moisture levels and relative humidity are high. During these times, transpiration rates are lower than in the day, when the plants are actively growing.
How do you fix soggy soil in an indoor plant? ›
Be sure the pot is draining. If no drainage holes exists add some or repot the plant into a pot with drainage holes. Do not allow the pot to sit in water, this will keep the soil too wet. If possible, create additional air spaces around the root ball.
Does it matter what time of day you water indoor plants? ›
But inside, where you're in control, there actually is an ideal time to water: the morning! Most plants like to be watered in the morning hours. They need to bulk up on water before the sun is shining in full force and cooks the water off.
Why do indoor plants drip water from their leaves? ›
Through a natural and essential process called transpiration, a plant will push small amounts of the excess moisture out from the tips of its leaves to help balance its water levels throughout the day. It also helps to cool its leaves and the air surrounding them, much like human sweat.
Why is my indoor plant crying? ›
While guttation may look like a sign of distress in a plant, it is actually a normal and necessary process for the plant's survival. The water droplets contain excess minerals and nutrients that would be harmful if left inside the plant, so guttation serves to protect the plant by removing these excess substances.
What to do if your plant is too wet? ›
Steps To Save A Drowning Plant
- Stop watering. It's obvious, but don't give your plant any more water, no matter how much it wilts.
- Move it. If your plant is in a bright window, move it to spot with less light. ...
- Double-check drainage. ...
- Add air. ...
- Repot. ...
- Mist wilted leaves. ...
- Water when dry. ...
- Give it a week.
Signs You Might be Overwatering Your Indoor Plant
- New and old leaves are falling off at the same time.
- Leaves are brown, yellow, and wilting.
- Leaves, stems, or flowers are moldy.
- Leaf tips are brown.
- Root rot or foul odor.
- Grey and slimy roots.
The good news is that most plants will bounce back between 7-14 days if they're given proper care (which includes rehydration). If this isn't possible because major damage was done or little healthy root system exists then expect about 2 weeks until improvement can be seen.
Why is my indoor plant soil still wet after a week? ›
If the soil is still wet for more than a week, without outside contributing factors like rain or flooding, there might be a waterlogging or drainage problem. Watering clay soil is especially difficult, as poor drainage makes it especially prone to waterlogging.
How to Properly Water Indoor Plants
- DO Use a Watering Can. ...
- DON'T Use Softened Water. ...
- DO Water Indoor Plants as Needed. ...
- DON'T Follow a Watering Schedule. ...
- DO Soak the Soil Thoroughly. ...
- DON'T Let Indoor Plants Sit in Water.
Brown tips or margins to the leaves may indicate over or more likely under-watering, which can be assessed by checking the roots. They may also be a sign of too dry an atmosphere, or poor ventilation in a greenhouse or conservatory. Over-watering often causes browning in the middle of the leaves.
How to dry out soil indoor plants? ›
It's important to remedy the situation before any further damage occurs.
- Take it Out of Direct Sunlight. ...
- Get Rid of Standing Water. ...
- Repot & Add New Soil. ...
- Blot with Newspaper. ...
- Repot. ...
- Water Once the Soil is Dry.
“Spritzing your plants is not the correct way to water your plants. In fact, it doesn't water them at all,” she says. While spritzing can provide some moisture, unless the plant really thrives in humidity (ferns, orchids, or bromeliads, for example), Hovis says spritzing can do more harm than good.
Why is my monstera crying? ›
It's a process called guttation and it's not exactly. water that's accumulating on the end of the leaves, it's. xylem sap, which is basically water and minerals your. plant doesn't need anymore.
What is the watering hack for indoor plants? ›
Essentially you fill a small plastic cup with water, place the cotton string inside your small plant through the bottom, then place it in the cup, where the string is in the water, and the plant is resting just above it. This method works perfectly for plants you're starting to grow and water.
Why is there dew on plants in the morning? ›
The Science of Dew Formation
When the sun goes down, air and surfaces heated up by solar radiation during the day begin to cool. Cooler air can't hold as much water vapor as warmer air; as the temperature drops, the rate of condensation exceeds the rate of evaporation and water droplets form.
Why do you always water the plant every morning? ›
They thrive on a morning soak because: It supplies them with a fresh supply of water to get through the day's heat. It leaves time to dry before nightfall, which helps prevent fungal diseases. Water has a chance to soak into roots instead of being evaporated by the heat.
Do plants need to be watered in the morning? ›
Morning watering is actually preferable to evening watering as the plant has time to dry before the sun goes down. At night, water tends to rest in the soil, around the roots, and on the foliage, which encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.
Why is there water on leaves in the morning? ›
The air around the leaves contains water vapour in it and when these vapours come in contact with the cold surface of leaves, they condense to form tiny droplets of water on the surface of the leaves. Q. We find water droplets on the surface of leaves, especially in the early morning.
