My house plant’s soil gets very dry

Question

I have 6 indoor plants varying in pot size and variety. I don’t even know all the names – one is an ivy, and 2 are succulents. The succulents are planted in succulent/cactus soil, and the others are in an organic potting soil (that I think was a “moisture control” mix). The problem I have is that the soil in all of the plants is so dry and hard. I did fresh soil last summer thinking maybe they just needed a fresh start. I had a jade that was looking pretty bad, and then one day it just broke in half, and the inside of the stalk was just mush and empty. I have all the plants sitting by a south facing window. I tried to make sure I wasn’t over watering, but when I leave them too long (like over a week), it literally looks like the soil would crack into pieces if I dropped it. I try not to use any chemicals in my plants. Can you give me any ideas of what I am doing wrong? Or what I could add to my soil to help?

Thanks much!
Kelly Galvin

Answer 1

It is difficult to determine the correct balance of moisture to give plants. Sometimes we can be so concerned about over-watering or under-watering that we end up doing the complete opposite. I think that perhaps you haven’t watered your plants enough. The article below will give you guidelines on how much water to give your plants. The most tried and true way of knowing when your plant needs water is to touch the soil. If the soil feels dry and hard as your soil did, then it’s definitely time to water. Another way is to tap your pot. If it sounds hollow, then watering is needed.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/how-to-water-a-plant.htm