over/under watering?

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by sarah55, Oct 7, 2007.

  1. sarah55

    sarah55 Member

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    edmonton, canada
    well...i am clearly horrible with plants. i kill everyone i get. but i got a yucca elephantipes which has been doing good for a few months. now that its getting colder its not doing as good. i have it by a east facing window so it doesn't get direct sunlight, does that matter? also i think i've been either over or underwatering it...its leaves are turning yellow and the odd few have brown dried ends. i think i'm over watering it...just wondering how often it should be watered and how long to now not water it for and if its okay in this window. thanks for any help
     

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  2. edleigh7

    edleigh7 Well-Known Member

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    Sarah.....I have mine growing in full sub tropical sun and it loves it, so don't be scared to give it more sun. I think you are overwatering it, and I would let the soil dry before watering it again, each time. You say you are "horrible with plants", I think you're killing them with kindness, sometimes less is more. The only time my Yucca gets a drink is when it rains, and it hasn't been doing a lot of that lately as we are in a drought!!

    Good luck, Sarah

    Ed
     
  3. Ines

    Ines Active Member

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    Sarah, taking care of plants is really not hard...but more are killed by over than underwatering. Stick your fingers down deep into the soil, and if you feel ANY moisture, wait and check again in a day or two. Better to err on the side of keeping the plant too dry, very few plants will die from this, whereas many will die from root rot from too much water.

    After a while, you willl get a feel for your plants and it will start to come naturally. But in general, I let all my tropicals get dry before watering again, and 99% of them do well in bright indirect light. Good luck!
     

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