My neighbor told me to stop overwatering my ferns but I didn't listen

She said once a week is plenty but I kept doing it every 3 days because the soil looked dry. After two months all three ferns got yellow leaves and root rot. Has anyone else dealt with overwatering stubbornness or did you figure out a better schedule?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat_moore2d ago

See it different honestly. Overwatering is a super common mistake but the real issue is usually the soil and drainage not just the schedule. If your ferns were in heavy soil that holds water, even once a week might be too much. Check if the pots have drainage holes and if the soil feels heavy and wet deeper down, not just the top. I switched to a mix with perlite and bark for mine and water when the top inch is dry, not by the calendar. That fixed everything for me.

sagecooper2d ago

Ngl pat_moore is spot on about the soil being the real culprit. Swapping to a mix with perlite and bark totally changed things for me too since the roots can actually breathe instead of sitting in wet mud. Now I just stick my finger in the soil and if it's dry past my first knuckle I water, otherwise I leave it alone.

charles_young922d ago

Waiting until it's dry past your first knuckle has been a game changer for my orchids and pothos too, but what about plants that like more consistent moisture like calatheas or some ferns? Do you adjust that knuckle rule for those or just stick with it? I lost a couple calatheas before I figured out they wanted the top soil to barely start drying out before watering again. Been experimenting with a moisture meter for those moody plants but not sure it's any better than the finger test. You noticed any types of plants where this schedule fell apart for you?