• A wilting plant is one sign that you may be watering too much.wilting sunflower image by Deborah Benbrook from Fotolia.com
  
  All plants need water but the just how much is a more intricate issue. Not all plants need to be watered every day. The amount of water a plant needs depends on the type of plant, whether or not it's growing inside or outside, in a container or in the ground, the kind of soil it's in and, of course, the weather. The signs of over-watering are not obvious until you know what you are looking for.
  
  

Yellow or Droopy Leaves

• A plant that looks sickly or whose leaves turn yellowish is getting too much water. The roots of a plant are its respiratory system (among other things). If you are drowning the roots, then the plant will start to wilt and yellow due to lack of air. This will also leave your plant susceptible to attacks from mold, pests and disease. Check the drainage on your pots. If you have a plant sitting in water, empty the drainage saucer and water your plant less. At this stage, once the soil begins to dry out, the plant should come back to life.
  
  

Green Mold or Algae

• If you look into your plant's pot or around the stem and you start to see a little greenish hue in the dirt, your plant is showing signs of mold and algae. Let the plant dry out a bit, placing it in the light or sun if possible. Water a plant susceptible to this in the morning, so that the water evaporates more as the day gets lighter. Watering at night will keep the plant's environment moist and dark, an invitation to molds and algae.
  
  

Rotten Roots

• Do you smell something funky coming from your plant? Check the roots. Roots that have rotted will look blackish (brush off the dirt), feel mushy or fall apart in your hand. Your plant may or may not have yellowing, wilted leaves if the roots have rotted. Rotten roots can spread to other healthier plants, essentially killing your plant. If your plant's roots are rotting, remove the plant from its pot or from the ground. Gently rinse as much soil as possible from the roots and use a sterile scissors (clean with rubbing alcohol or boil in water) and trim all of the rotten areas off. Clean the scissors again and trim back about a third of the leaves. This will give the reduced root amount the ability to provide for the plant. Throw out the soil the plants were in and clean the pot (if it was potted) with a bleach and hot water solution. Put new soil in the pot or plant the pot in a new place. Do not fertilize the plant, this will stress it. Be sure not to over-water it.