‘Light – the prerequisite for proper plant care’ – if someone asks “how often should I water this plant?” We sometimes just say “once a week” but even if it works for one person, it may not work for someone else. A somewhat better answer is “whenever the soil is partially dry” – but this still wouldn’t work if the plant was placed far from any windows because evaporation would cause the soil to become partially dry and you would think its time to water. A plant in this situation would eventually die of starvation or root rot. ***Bring light into the discussion*** When the plant is receiving the right amount of light, the plant is working – it is taking up the moisture in the soil to produce carbohydrates – now the watering strategy of waiting for the soil to become partially dry will work because the plant is working. If the time it takes for the soil to become partially dry ends up being roughly a week, then we conclude that “once a week” is how often we should water this plant. This is how watering once a week can keep a plant alive – it’s because the light level causes the wet/dry cycle of the soil to be one week long.
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Understanding the linkage between light level, moisture usage, and plant growth seems like added complexity but when we boil down the science of plant life to just tips/tricks, you’ll get instructions that work in some cases but not others. Seek to understand the plant system and your environment and you will be able to make sense of all the advice out there!
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This Monstera deliciosa has lived at my church for almost 4 years. I’m at my church only once a week, which means I’m only able to water the plant once a week. The typical thing to say is “I water this plant once a week” but the insightful plant parent would understand that ***given the plant’s current lighting situation***, it will use up a sufficient amount of water within the week, and thus, I can water it once a week.
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Conclusion: watering instructions will not keep a plant alive unless the prerequisite of light is satisfied.
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Still to discuss: what is the best light for house plants? What kind light does a typical home get?
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#monsteradeliciosa #monstera #monsteramonday
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