Wilt is lost cell firmness — judge water by the plant, not only the soil

Water keeps cells tight. When they lose it, leaves droop, fruit stops swelling, and the plant looks thirsty. The soil can still be damp while roots cannot take water up, or dry wind can pull water faster than roots replace it.

Midday limp that stands again in the evening often means demand briefly beat supply. A plant still collapsed at dawn usually means the root zone is empty, damaged, or drowned.

Hold irrigation steady while fruit is filling. Uneven wet-dry swings shrink fruit even when the plant does not die.

If you water and the plant stays limp, look at roots, salts, and air in the bed — not only the next valve opening.

In this series

• Wilt is lost cell firmness — judge water by the plant, not only the soil
• Protect green leaf area; leaves feed fruit, seed, and roots
• Do not wreck young feeder roots at transplant
• Removing the tip releases side shoots
• Match the flower to how it is pollinated
• Families are field shortcuts; lookalikes can still be dangerous