My prized fern collection took a hit after a watering schedule mix-up

I came home from a week-long trip to Portland last month and found half my Boston ferns drooping with yellow fronds. My wife had been watering them daily thinking they needed extra care, but they actually prefer drying out between waterings. I usually stick to a strict Monday and Thursday routine with about 8 ounces per pot. Has anyone else dealt with a well-meaning helper who accidentally overdid it on plant care?

2 comments

2 Comments

finleyh8918d ago

My neighbor once tried to help by watering my succulents while I was away, poured a whole pitcher into each pot. Took me months to get them back to looking normal, and some never made it.

king.wyatt18d ago

Put yourself in my shoes for a second, @finleyh89 - I had a similar thing happen but with my cactus collection. My well-meaning mom came over while I was on vacation and "helped" by giving them a good soaking every single day (like she does with her houseplants). I came back to find three of them literally swimming in standing water, roots all mushy and gross. It really is a special kind of frustration when someone tries to be nice but just messes things up worse than if they'd done nothing at all. I ended up having to repot everything with fresh dry soil and basically put them on life support for a few months. Some of those plants were over 5 years old and they just never bounced back the same way.