A volunteer day at the city greenhouse made me see my own plants differently

I spent last Saturday helping out at the Springfield city greenhouse (you know, the one near the old water tower). I was just repotting some donated seedlings, but the head gardener, a woman named Marta, showed me her trick for checking soil moisture. She doesn't just poke a finger in. She picks up the whole pot to feel its weight. It sounds simple, but I'd never done that. I went home and tried it on my own fiddle-leaf fig, which I've been struggling with for months. The pot felt way heavier than I expected, meaning I was probably watering it too much. I've been using her 'lift test' for a week now, and the leaves already look perkier. Has anyone else picked up a small tip from a pro that totally fixed a plant problem you had?

3 comments

3 Comments

felixlane5h ago

The "lift test" sounds like a great way to finally figure out if you're a plant parent or a plant serial killer.

the_robin4h ago

Yeah, the lift test is solid, but a full month for a snake plant is actually pushing it. Those guys really do like to dry out completely, like bone dry for a while. It's more of a "pick it up and if it feels like there's literally nothing in there, maybe water it" kind of deal.

olivia_lopez984h ago

Honestly, the lift test is a total game changer, @felixlane. It's way better than just guessing and drowning your poor pothos. You pick up the pot, and if it feels super light, it's thirsty. If it's still heavy, you leave it alone. My snake plant went a full month once because of that trick.