From our root system's point of view, the difference between too much and too little water is a matter of life and death. When overwatered, we are essentially drowning. The soil becomes saturated, driving out all the oxygen. We roots need to breathe, and without air pockets in the soil, we begin to suffocate and rot. This rot turns us soft, brown, and mushy, and we can no longer function to absorb nutrients or even water, leading to a paradoxical state of drought within a flooded environment. In contrast, underwatering leaves us desperately thirsty. The soil becomes hard and compacted, sometimes even pulling away from the edges of the pot. We become dry, brittle, and may shrivel. We are still healthy and capable but are utterly deprived of the moisture needed to transport nutrients to the rest of the plant.
The condition of our stems and segments (often mistaken for leaves) is the cleest indicator of your watering habits. When overwatered, the damage that starts in the roots travels upward. Our normally plump and firm segments will become soft, mushy, and translucent. They may feel cold and watery to the touch and will often drop off the plant with the slightest disturbance. This is a sign of cell death and rot. Conversely, when underwatered, our segments will tell a story of conservation. They will appear wrinkled, shrunken, and limp, feeling leathery or papery. We are essentially sacrificing the plumpness of our segments to conserve the little remaining moisture for vital functions. The green color may also appear duller or faded.
Our reproductive and growth cycles are heavily influenced by water availability. Overwatering creates immense stress, forcing us to focus all our energy on survival rather than growth or blooming. You will likely see a complete absence of flower buds. New growth, if it appears at all, will be weak, pale, and often just as susceptible to rot as the older segments. Our overall growth becomes severely stunted. Underwatering also halts flowering and growth, but for a different reason: dormancy. We enter a survival mode, conserving every last resource. While we may not produce new segments or flowers, it is a protective state rather than an actively degenerative one. Once properly hydrated, we can often bounce back from this dormant state.
Before you even water us again, the soil itself provides critical clues. The environment you provide for our roots speaks volumes. In cases of overwatering, the soil will consistently feel wet, cool, and clumpy many days after watering. It may have a musty or sour smell, indicating anaerobic conditions and root decay. A pot that feels surprisingly heavy for its size is also a sign of waterlogged soil. For underwatering, the opposite is true. The soil will be dry, dusty, and pull away from the pot's interior walls. It will be extremely light to lift, and water may initially run straight through it without being absorbed due to the soil becoming hydrophobic.
