Beginner Gardening: I think I killed my pothos... :(, 0 by tapla

tapla wrote:
Play sand is extremely fine. Mixed 50/50 with CHCs, the play sand simply packs in around the CHCs, the end result being virtually the same as if the plant was entirely in the sand. The mix you mentioned will support a very tall perched water table. What that means is the bottom several inches of your soil will remain saturated and nearly entirely devoid of air for extended periods after a watering. Since plants need air as much as water (in the root zone) the plant's ability to move water efficiently is greatly impaired, so the plant wilts. When it wilts, you think 'more water' which actually exacerbates the problem.

Your soil is the foundation of every conventional container planting, and arguably the most important decision you'll make when establishing a plant in a pot. There is a sticky thread at the top of this forum that you might find helpful. It covers a lot of ground in a short while, and it stresses the importance of soil selection in improving the effort:reward thing we could all use help with. ;-) I hope you take the time to read it and ask any questions you're left with.

Al