Plants begin to die when excess of soluble fertilizers are added to the soil.

Fertilizers are mostly inorganic compounds prepared from various chemicals. Continuous use of these chemical fertilizers depletes essential soil nutrients and minerals that are naturally found in fertile soil.

a) Roots on the plants are semi-permeable. It permits the water through readily but the nutrients/solvents that are dissolved does not get through. Plants rely on osmosis pressure gradient to collect the water. The concentrations of dissolved nutrient, solvents contribute to this gradient and thus allow more and more water into the roots causing guttation. Though this concept is not the cause of plats to die, it is one of the contributing factors for dampening the plants.

b) Lot of soluble fertilizer and thus solvent in the water surrounding the roots, cause the change in pH. Plants need optimum pH to be able to grow and absorb the nutrients. This change in pH disrupts the ability.

c) There are salts in the fertilizers. Excess use of fertilizers and thus this salts, damage the roots by slowing the absorption of water into the roots. This also makes the plants susceptible to disease.