You cannot simply mark a day on your calendar to water me. My need for water is a direct response to the environment I live in. The intensity and duration of light I receive, the ambient temperature and humidity of the room, the season, and even the type of pot I'm in all dictate how quickly I use the water you give me. In my native tropical understory habitat, I am used to consistent moisture paired with excellent drainage. Your goal is to replicate that balance in my new home with you. A bright, warm, and humid room will make me thirstier more often, while a cooler, darker spot means my soil will stay wet for longer, increasing the risk of my roots suffocating and rotting.
The most reliable way to understand my needs is to check the moisture level of my soil directly. Please insert your finger into the soil, going down about two inches. If the top two inches of my soil feel dry to the touch, that is my signal to you that I am ready for a drink. If it still feels moist or cool, please wait and check again in a few days. I am not a cactus; I do not want to be bone dry all the way through. But I also despise having my roots sit in constantly soggy, waterlogged soil. This simple test prevents you from guessing and ensures you are responding to my actual condition, not a predetermined schedule.
My relationship with water changes dramatically with the seasons, which directly influences my growth cycle. During the spring and summer, when the days are longer and brighter, I am in my active growth phase. I am working hard to produce new, magnificent leaves for you. This is when I am thirstiest and will require more frequent watering, likely aligning with that finger test every week or so. However, in the autumn and winter, the light levels drop and my growth slows significantly, often entering a period of dormancy. My water usage plummets. During this time, you must allow my soil to dry out more thoroughly between waterings, perhaps only needing water every two to three weeks, or even longer. Overwatering during my dormant period is the most common threat to my health.
When my watering needs are not met correctly, I will communicate my distress clearly. If you underwater me and I become too dry for too long, you will see my strong stems droop pathetically and the edges of my beautiful leaves begin to turn crispy brown and yellow. I will look sad and wilted. Conversely, the danger of overwatering is far more sinister. Soggy soil starves my roots of oxygen and leads to root rot, a deadly condition that often isn't visible until it is too late. Symptoms above the soil include widespread yellowing leaves, a general look of decline, and soft, mushy stems. It is always safer to err on the side of slightly too dry than too wet.
