Gardening can seem difficult, but it doesn't have to be if you know what your plants are trying to tell you.
Luckily, gardener and Instagram influencer Michelle (@gardensandchickens) has revealed one major sign to watch for that can help plant lovers conserve water and keep their gardens looking fresh. All you need to do is look at your plants' leaves.
The scoop
No matter what plants you have in your garden, most are known for soaking up a lot of water and moisture to thrive. However, sometimes there might just be a little too much.
In a post to Instagram, Michelle revealed that many plants will exhibit a warning sign that they have enough water through a process called guttation, as the University of Missouri explained.
Gardeners and plant lovers can see this sign when there are droplets of water located at the tip of the plant's leaves. Typically, this occurs during the night or early morning, Michelle revealed.
"This phenomenon is driven by root pressure, which occurs when soil moisture is high... the pressure forces water, containing dissolved minerals, up through the plant and out through specialized structures located at the leaf margins or tips," she wrote in the caption.
She explained that the process is not harmful to plants; in fact, experts say it can be a sign that a plant is healthy.
"Just think of it as your garden giving you a little sign that you can skip watering that day," Michelle said.
How it's helping
It is important to pay attention to what your garden needs to avoid overwatering or harming the plants. If you find evidence of guttation on your plants, consider scaling back on how much you water them. This sign of extra moisture offers the perfect chance for gardeners to plan on conserving water for other parts of their lawn.
Keeping your garden healthy and satisfied is one major way to reap the benefits of having native plants or food growing in your backyard. Gardening has been found to boost individuals' well-being by increasing physical activity, decreasing stress, improving mental health, and encouraging healthy eating habits.
Also, growing your own food is a great way to minimize individual waste and reduce your pollution footprint and environmental impact, making it an eco-friendly lifestyle. Growing produce has also been found to save homeowners thousands of dollars, as one investment of $70 can yield up to 300 pounds of fresh produce every year, typically worth around $600.
These benefits make it all the more important to be aware of signs that your garden may need less or more water to stay healthy and fruitful.
What's everyone saying?
Many gardeners have raved over Michelle's revelation, with at least one saying they had seen the water droplets on some of their own plants.
"I have seen this dripping from my Calla Lily plant," the Instagram user said.
"Good to know, thanks for sharing," another wrote.
"Well this is so cool!" a third said.
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