What is wrong with my Croton? I haven’t noticed these red spots before, and wondered if it might be edema? I was told that Crotons like to be well watered, but I have never watered it before, unless it showed normal on my moisture meter. TIA!
Check for pests. It’s likely edema if no pests are found. Moisture meters can show incorrect data. They measure conductivity and not moisture. Wetter soil conducts electricity better than dry soil. Verify the reading with a wooden meat skewer stuck into the soil.
1 j'aime TXS for your post, Sunny! However, at this point, I’m totally confused about how to figure out the watering needs for my medium moisture loving plants. Since my croton is labeled as medium for its watering needs, that means it’s somewhere in the normal range when I use my moisture meter. I’ve never used a wooden stake to determine watering needs for these types but of plants. I know what a stake looks like when the plant is wet, and I know what it looks like when the plant is dry. So what does a stake for a medium moisture needs plant look like? TIA!
0 J'aime I don’t understand the term “medium moisture needs” of a plant without a quantitative measure. What is the equivalent volume of water per week? I base the amount of water a plant needs on how the plant responds to my watering habits. I add more water more often if the plant show signs of being too dry (limp or folding leaves, dry spots/edges, yellowing, dropped leaves). I reduce watering if the leaves/stems/roots start to yellow, get black spots or rot. I water less if fungus gnats and other wet soil loving pests are thriving in the pots. Essentially, I rely on the plant to tell me when I have reached a good balance of light/water/fertilizer to help the plant thrive. That’s different for each plant and environment. What works for my hot humid climate may not work for a dry cooler climate. Your plant is showing it’s getting too much water to the leaves. So, you need to reduce the water in the soil to help it. Don’t rely heavily on a water meter gauge.
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