All my plants die after they start growing and I don’t know why. I’ve tried controlling every factor that I can although without a thermometer, higrometer, pH measuring etc. I even have a shitty microscope that I try to analyse the sick parts, but I can’t find any reliable resources on how to actually interpret what I’m seeing. I want to know how to use this kind of data so that I can raise my plants right.
Where can I learn about this? I mean diagnosing problems, monitoring variables, finding solutions to each situation etc. google obviously sucks and gives nothing of substance
I will say that I recently got a new substrate, maybe the old one was the problem. But then there’s my mother-in-law, who raises beautiful lavenders and all that using the exact same soil I’m getting shitty results with. I’m literally not doing anything different to her, so maybe it’s the water? I really don’t know.
Edit: in fact, the lush lavender 🪻 she is currently flexing is a piece of the one my partner bought. Same plant, same soil.
Edit 2: also, the roots always look alright when I dig their cadavers to analyze. No parasites, insects, obvious fungi etc in any part of any plant so far.
If the soil is really dried out I’ll water from the bottom too- set the container in another container filled with water, and let the soil pull the water up itself. Some soils can become hydrophobic when they reeeeally dry out, and this helps it to slooooowly pull moisture back in (vs just percolating through).
For most houseplants this is how I primarily water. Think of it like trying to drink as much water as you can from a glass with a straw vs from that same glass poured over your face all at once.
With larger outdoor containers I’ll replicate this by doing a “storage layer” of large rock at the bottom, and adding drain holes above that. That way the plants don’t risk drowning, but have a reservoir of moisture to keep soil moisture from getting too low
If you’re in the US many university extension offices have good info on houseplants - as well as agriculture - and identifying ailments based on leaves, etc
Edit - various extension links: https://essex.cce.cornell.edu/gardening/houseplants
https://extension.illinois.edu/houseplants/care
https://extension.umn.edu/find-plants/houseplants
https://extension.psu.edu/caring-for-houseplants
Soil!!!
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223301239_Soil_Water_Repellency_Its_Causes_Characteristics_and_Hydro-geomorphological_Significance
Damn, thanks!! I’ll try watering this way now 😀