From my roots to my leaves, water is my lifeblood, but new caregivers often get it terribly wrong. The most common mistake is loving me a little too much with the watering can. Soggy, waterlogged soil suffocates my root system, preventing oxygen from reaching them and leading to the dreaded root rot. Once those roots turn mushy and brown, they cannot function, and I will signal my distress by dropping my lower leaves rapidly. On the flip side, forgetting about me for weeks on end is just as damaging. Under-watering causes my soil to become a dry brick, and my roots shrink and desiccate. My large, rubbery leaves will lose their rigidity, becoming limp, wrinkled, and may eventually turn brown and crispy at the edges. The key is to check the soil moisture an inch or two down; water me thoroughly only when it feels dry, and always let the excess water drain away completely.
I am often labeled a "low-light" plant, which is a grave misunderstanding. I tolerate lower light, but I do not thrive in it. Placing me in a dark corner far from any window is a slow sentence to decline. Without sufficient bright, indirect light, my photosynthetic processes slow to a crawl. My growth will become leggy as I desperately stretch toward any light source, resulting in large gaps between leaves on my stem. My new leaves will be smaller, and I will lose my deep, vibrant coloration, becoming pale and lackluster. Direct, harsh afternoon sun, however, is just as harmful, as it will scorch my beautiful leaves, leaving unsightly brown, crispy patches. A spot near an east or north-facing window, or a few feet back from a south or west window, is my idea of paradise.
I am a creature of habit and deeply dislike change. One of the most stressful things for me is constant relocation. If you move me from a bright room to a dark room to the hallway and back again, I go into a state of shock. Each move forces me to expend immense energy trying to acclimate to a new light level, humidity, and temperature. This energy drain manifests as significant leaf drop. Similarly, placing me near a frequently opened drafty door, a heating vent, or an air conditioning unit subjects me to sudden temperature fluctuations and dry air that I find utterly disagreeable. These conditions stress me out, causing my leaves to turn yellow and fall. Please, find me a stable home with consistent conditions, and I will reward you with steady, lush growth.
While I am not a gluttonous feeder, I still require nutrients to support my growth, especially in the spring and summer. Leaving me in the same pot for years without supplemental feeding will eventually deplete the soil of nutrients. This leads to stunted growth, pale leaves, and overall poor health. A balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half-strength during the growing season is perfect. Furthermore, the soil you plant me in is my entire world. Heavy, moisture-retentive garden soil is a death sentence, compacting around my roots and promoting rot. I require a well-draining, aerated potting mix, often one formulated for houseplants or amended with perlite or orchid bark to ensure my roots can breathe.
