From my perspective, the most important thing for you to understand is my root system. I am not like other plants. I store all the water and nutrients I need to survive in my thick, potato-like underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes are my personal water reservoirs, allowing me to go for long periods without a drink. When you water me on a typical schedule meant for other plants, you are essentially flooding my storage units. My rhizomes become waterlogged, which cuts off their oxygen supply and causes them to rot. This rot is a death sentence for me, as it spreads upwards and destroys my entire structure.
I am a very communicative plant if you know how to read my signals. My beautiful, glossy green leaves are my primary means of communication. When I am perfectly happy and have just the right amount of water stored, my leaves are firm, waxy, and upright. If I am starting to get a bit thirsty and have drawn down my water reserves, you might notice that my leaves begin to wrinkle slightly or feel less rigid to the touch. This is a mild suggestion that a drink might be welcome soon. However, my most dramatic signal is yellowing leaves. This almost always means you have been too generous with water and my roots are in distress.
My water needs are not constant throughout the year; they change with the seasons and the light I receive. During the spring and summer, when the days are longer and brighter, I am in my active growth phase. I am using more energy to produce new shoots, so I will deplete the water in my rhizomes a bit faster. This is when I will appreciate a drink more frequently. Conversely, in the fall and winter, the light levels drop significantly and my growth grinds to a near halt. I enter a state of dormancy where I use very little water. During this time, my rhizomes remain full for much, much longer. Watering me as often as you did in the summer would be catastrophic.
Forget the calendar. The best way to know when I need water is to check on my soil. Please stick your finger or a wooden chopstick about two to three inches into my potting mix. If you feel any moisture or soil sticks to the chopstick, I am still perfectly content and do not need anything. Wait. Only when the soil is completely and utterly dry all the way through should you even consider giving me water. For most homes, this translates to a deep, thorough watering every 2-3 weeks in the summer, and potentially only once a month or even less frequently in the winter. When you do water, please ensure I am in a pot with drainage holes and that you allow all the excess water to flow out completely, leaving none in the saucer beneath me.
