Question
Hello Mike,
I don't know much about caring for plants, but I really like them, and I recently bought a split-leaf philodendron (I have been reading, and apparently there are two plants that go by this name, mine is monstera deliciosa), and now it's dying! I need help...
I think I overwatered it, because the leaves turned yellow, then brown, then fell off, and some fluffy white fungi started growing on top of the soil. I scraped off the fluffies and let it dry, and then about a week ago I moved it to a new pot (it was still in the plastic one it had come in) and started watering it again (not nearly as much as before) and gave it a few drops of fertilizer. It didn't show any improvement; even though the stems looked green and relatively healthy, it didn't show any signs of new growth, and now even the stems are starting to droop! What should I do? Can anything be done for this poor plant? If not, would it be possible to make a cutting and at least save a part of it (and how)?
Thank you for your time,
Daniela.

Answer
The best thing you can do at this point is to leave the plant as is for a week and not water or fertilize. Fertilizer often does more harm than good when a plant is ailing. At this point, your soil needs to completely dry out before watering again.

The proper watering technique is to water only when the top 2" of soil dries out. You then want to water deeply. Shallow watering causes the roots to reach for the surface rather than down. My best advice is to purchase a moisture meter at your local garden center. This will enable you to water at the proper times. I personally water my houseplants every 10-14 days. Excess watering saturates the soil, depleting the soil of nutrients. The roots then become waterlogged and can no longer absorb whatever nutrients remain. The result is yellowing of leaves and leaf drop, much like what you've described. The soil can also develop a fungus on the surface, which you also described.

If you replanted using the original soil, my recommendation is to remove the plant and shake off as much of the infected soil as possible. Replant using a reputable potting soil. Water deeply until the water runs from the drainage hole. And then do nothing more for at least 10 days. You should know by then if the plant will recover or if the damage was too extensive.

I hope this information helps. Good luck, and please write again if I can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike