Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
oh... well there is the problem then.They’re both getting the exact same treatment. I usually check before watering stick my finger in until the knuckle, if it’s dry I water. If her roots are pooling should I do something? I am so upset she’s not doing well, although some new leaves are coming out, she’s just frail. Poor thing.
I thought you said you were following my method to a T. Sticking your finger in the top as far down as you could get it would still not tell you what you need to know about the water pooling in the bottom. If you water when it is dry way up there, it can still have a huge pool of water sitting in the bottom and when you water again, you simply refresh that lake. Your lower roots have been underwater for a long while now... and this is the entire cause of your problem.
You absolutely must let the plant dry out the container all the way down into the last inch of the container. This pulls oxygen down deep into the soil and provides it to the roots. The LIFT the pot method is the best way to determine if this has happened. If your human senses can discern ANY water weight at all in that container by lifting it, nudging it or lifting up one corner... it is not yet time to water. If you want to stick something in there to determine the actual water level, your finger is not long enough... get a 1/4" wood dowel and stick it all the way to the bottom. The residual water on that dipstick when you pull it out will tell you exactly where the level of the water table has fallen to, and you need to wait until it has fallen into the last inch of the container before watering.