Purpose

• Plants are given fertilizer because the chemicals provide nutrients to plant cells to promote healthy growth. The chemicals effectively distribute nutrients to the cells through the use of water. When normal levels of fertilizer are given to plants, the chemicals utilize only small amounts of water.
  
  

Problem

• When excessive amounts of fertilizer are applied to plants, the fertilizer's chemicals quickly consume large amounts of water, dehydrating plants and causing fertilizer burns to occur.
  
  

Symptoms

• Fertilizer burn symptoms include a scorched or burnt appearance to the plant's crown, roots and leaves. The loss of the water and moisture in the leaves causes them to turn brown and wilt, resulting in the eventual demise of the plant.
  
  

Treatment

• For plants in the early stages of fertilizer burn, leaching the soil is an effective treatment for rehydrating the plant. Leaching involves flooding the plant with a garden hose to retain moisture and eliminate the accumulation of fertilizer on the soil's surface.