From my perspective, the soil around my roots is my entire world. When you water me too frequently, the air pockets in the soil fill with water and cannot refill with air. My roots, like all living things, need to breathe. Without oxygen, they begin to rot and die. This root rot means they can no longer absorb water and nutrients effectively. Ironically, even though the soil is wet, I cannot drink. This inability to uptake water is the primary reason my leaves become soft, limp, and droopy. It feels like I am desperately thirsty while standing in a flood.
The opposite problem is just as debilitating. If you forget to water me for too long, or if you water so sparingly that only the top layer of soil gets damp, my fine roots dry out and perish. My leaves are composed mostly of water, which gives them their firm, turgid structure. Without a consistent supply, that internal water pressure drops. My leaves lose their rigidity, becoming soft, limp, and lifeless. I will often droop dramatically to conserve what little energy and moisture I have left, a clear sign of my severe dehydration.
My native home is the understory of tropical forests, which means I am adapted to very specific conditions. If the air around me is too cold, the cells in my leaves can be damaged, disrupting their internal processes and causing them to become soft and mushy. Conversely, excessive heat causes me to lose water through transpiration faster than my roots can replace it, leading to a wilt similar to underwatering. Furthermore, if I am sitting in a spot with intense, direct sunlight, especially through a window, I can essentially get sunburned. This scorching damages my leaf tissues, causing them to become pale, soft, and weak.
While not the most common cause, a lack of essential nutrients can contribute to my overall decline and weak, drooping leaves. I require a balanced, phosphorus-rich fertilizer to support healthy blooms and foliage. If I have been in the same pot for years, the soil becomes depleted of nutrients. Without adequate phosphorus and nitrogen, I cannot maintain strong cellular growth and energy production, leading to generally poor health that manifests in weak leaves. Conversely, too much fertilizer can chemically burn my roots, creating a similar effect to overwatering by destroying the very organs I use to feed and hydrate myself.
