Sometimes, fertilizing a wilting plant with dry fertilizer actually causes it to wilt more. Explain please!?

Question

Sometimes, fertilizing a wilting plant with dry fertilizer actually causes it to wilt more. Explain please!

Answer 1

This is because of something called osmosis, which is the diffusion of water accross a semipermeable membrane (such as the cell membrane). In plants, the concentration of solutes in the water outside the cells must be lower than the concentration of solutes inside the cells. If this is the case, water will flow into the cell, and keep all the cells steady and strong (called turgid). However, if the water concentration is not higher inside the cell, or if there is not enough water, then plants will wilt, because there is not enough osmotic pressure to support the plants. When you add dry fertilizer, it increases the concentration of solutes outside the plant cells, and thus the plants lose even more water due to osmosis.

Answer 2

Think about it. What does dry fertilizer need to be assimilated into the plant? That's right, water! Why is the plant likely wilting? That's right, usually a lack of water!