Just realized I was drowning my jade plant for a full year because I kept the soil from the nursery pot.

My friend in Denver saw it and said 'That pot has no drainage, you're giving it wet feet,' which made me debate if beginner guides oversimplify watering or if I just missed a basic step.

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah9501mo ago

Oh man, that's such a classic mistake, I did the same thing with my first snake plant lol. A lot of beginner guides really do just say "water when dry" and skip the part about drainage being non-negotiable. I always drill a hole in decorative pots now or just use a cheap plastic nursery pot inside a pretty cover. Your friend is totally right, wet feet will rot the roots so fast.

the_tara1mo ago

Actually "water when dry" is still solid advice, it just needs the right setup first. The real trick is using a pot with a hole so the water can actually leave after you water it. Once you have that down, the "when dry" part works fine.

bethdavis1mo ago

My first three snake plants died before I got it, but @sarah950's trick with the nursery pot inside saved my fourth one.