Recognizing Watering Problems
Individual planting environments will dictate the frequency of watering. For example, a low light plant living in a medium or high light environment may need frequent watering. Watering requirements will change throughout the year as the number of hours of sunlight change with the seasons. A plant that needs weekly watering in summer may require watering only once a month in the middle of winter.
When maintaining plants indoors, top watering cannot always be as effective as it should. Water is not always leached thoroughly through the soil, and salts can build up and damage the roots. The soil may be moist but the build-up of salts from fertilization can still occur. On the other hand, sometimes the soil is so compacted or root bound that water shoots right through the soil and is left in the saucer where it sits until the roots are gradually rotted. In both cases, root damage will cause the loss of the plant.