Used to be a 'just water the plants and pray' person

For years I treated my houseplants like decorations. Watered them whenever I remembered, maybe once a week. Then last spring my monstera got scale bugs so bad it almost died. Now I check every plant every 3 days, feel the soil, wipe leaves down with a damp cloth. It's more work but I haven't lost a single plant since October. Anyone else have a wake up call that turned them into a helicopter plant parent?

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jessicaflores2mo ago

Not gonna lie, I was literally the same way for like three years. I had a pothos that somehow survived my neglect for ages, so I thought I was a plant genius or whatever. Then this past winter I overwatered a succulent so bad it literally turned into mush in my hands. That was my big wake up call. Now I'm out here with a moisture meter and a whole schedule on my phone, checking each plant like it's a patient in the ICU.

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derekward2mo ago

The whole plant thing taught me most of my life is like that. Once something goes wrong, you overcorrect and turn into a total control freak about it. I used to be the same way with my car. Never checked the oil until it started knocking. Then I was changing it every 2,000 miles and checking the tire pressure every week. It's like once you get burned, you can't help but hover. @jessicaflores sounds like she found herself a good routine with that moisture meter, at least it's a system that works.

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