Question about watering my monstera - turns out I was drowning it for 6 months

So I got this monstera from my neighbor back in January. Nice big leaves, looked happy. I kept watering it every 3 days because the soil felt dry on top. Then last week I pulled it out to repot and the roots were all brown and mushy. My neighbor came over and laughed at me. She said I should stick my finger all the way down to the bottom of the pot before watering. The top dries out fast but the bottom stays wet for days. I only watered it twice since then and it already looks better. Anyone else make this mistake or just me?

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2 Comments

ryang655mo ago

Nah, underwatering is way worse. Roots need oxygen but they also need constant moisture.

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reese865mo ago

My snake plant survived three months in a bone-dry pot while I was away and it actually looked better than when I left it. Overwatering killed my peace lily in less than two weeks though, just sitting there in soggy soil like a sad sponge. Roots need air pockets to breathe, and constant moisture basically suffocates them before rot sets in. You can always add water to a dry plant, but you can't undo root damage from overwatering. Have you ever tried sticking a wooden chopstick into your soil to check moisture levels before watering?

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