First post of 2017: Peace Lily recovering from thirst. The observant plant parent should take note of this — soil additives like perlite and coarse sand promote drainage so that’s why at the end of my pouring, you can see some water has drained through to the transparent cachepot. The peat portion of common potting soil is used for water/nutrient retention – thus, like a sponge, you can see the drained water is drawn back into the pot through the drainage holes. The fact that potting soil has both drainage and water retentive capability is why I avoid putting rocks/gravel at the bottom of an enclosed container – the moment any water drains through to the gravel, it is no longer within reach of the soil and thus becomes stagnant – an ideal environment for breeding bacteria. I’m not saying it is impossible to have bacteria-free plants in enclosed containers, I’m just saying that in my house, I control which life forms get to use water. And plants will only use water if they are getting enough light. I hope this deepened your understanding of the ‘Phyto Hallows’: light, water, and soil.
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