From my perspective, your kindness with the watering can is a death sentence. When you give me too much water, you are literally suffocating me. My roots need oxygen from the air pockets in the soil to breathe and function. When you saturate the soil constantly, you fill those air pockets with water, creating an anaerobic environment. My roots begin to rot, turning from a healthy white to a mushy, dark brown or black. They can no longer absorb water or nutrients, which creates a cruel irony: I am surrounded by water but dying of thirst. You will see my leaves start to turn a pale yellow, often beginning with the lower, older leaves. They will feel soft and limp, and the stems might become weak and mushy. If you were to check my soil, it would feel perpetually wet and may even have a sour or musty smell—a sure sign of root rot setting in.
While I dislike soggy feet, I am a tropical plant and still require consistent moisture. When you forget about me for too long, I enter a state of crisis. Without enough water, my internal pressure drops. I use water to maintain my structure, and when it is scarce, I begin to wilt. My leaves will become droopy and limp, losing their rigid, glossy posture. They will feel dry and papery to the touch. As the drought continues, the edges of my leaves will begin to turn crispy and brown, a process known as leaf scorch. This browning is typically dry and brittle, unlike the soft yellowing of overwatering. My soil will pull away from the edges of the pot, and it will feel bone-dry deep into the pot, not just on the surface. My growth will also slow down or halt completely as I lack the basic resource needed to produce new, beautiful flowers and leaves.
Do not rely on a schedule; instead, listen to me. The best way to understand my needs is to physically check my soil. Push your finger about two inches into the potting mix. If the soil feels wet, clammy, and sticks to your finger, I do not need more water. If it feels moist, you can wait a day or two. Only when the top two inches feel dry to the touch is it the right time for a deep, thorough drink. Ensure my pot has excellent drainage holes so any excess water can escape freely, preventing my roots from sitting in a swamp. The weight of the pot is another good indicator; a light pot means I am dry, while a heavy one suggests there is still plenty of moisture available to me.
