Just realized my money tree was sitting in a puddle for 3 months straight

I kept wondering why the leaves kept turning yellow and dropping off. Thought it was too much sun or not enough fertilizer. Then I lifted the decorative pot and there was green sludge sitting in the bottom tray. That drainage hole was totally blocked by a pebble. Drained it, let the roots air out for a day, repotted with fresh soil. It's been 2 weeks and I'm seeing new growth for the first time. Anyone else ever overlook something super basic like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

jordan30518d ago

Hey did you make sure the roots weren't turning brown and mushy too? That's usually a bad sign if they were sitting in water that long. I'd keep an eye on the new growth for the next month just to be safe.

simon_coleman18d ago

Oh man, the "green sludge in the bottom tray" part hit me hard lol. I did the exact same thing with my snake plant last year - kept watering it every week like clockwork but never checked if the water was actually draining. Turns out the pot was sitting in a little pool of water the whole time. What worked for me was actually switching to a pot with WAY bigger drainage holes and getting rid of the fancy decorative pot with no holes. I also started sticking my finger in the soil before watering instead of just doing it on a schedule. Now I just water when the soil feels completely dry a couple inches down and my plants actually survive lol.