If your plant keeps yellowing in a pretty ceramic pot, or drying out too fast in a tiny clay one, the pot may be changing your watering routine more than you realize. Terracotta is not automatically “better.” It is simply porous clay, which means soil dries faster and roots get more air. That is great for succulents, snake plants, pothos, monsteras, herbs, and anyone who tends to overwater. It is frustrating for ferns, calatheas, and other plants that hate drying out. ...

Succulent care usually goes wrong in one of two ways: the plant gets watered while the soil is still damp, or it sits in a room that is too dim for the soil to dry quickly. If you are new to plants, start here: most indoor succulents want a deep drink every 7-14 days in spring and summer, every 3-5 weeks in autumn and winter, and no water until the soil is dry 2 inches down. ...

If you bought a Monstera deliciosa and are now wondering how often to water it, start here: water when the top 2 inches of soil feel dry, not on a strict calendar. For many homes, that means every 7–10 days in spring and summer and every 14–21 days in winter. The two biggest things to watch are light and wet soil. A monstera wants bright indirect light, a pot with drainage, and soil that dries partway between waterings. Yellow lower leaves with soggy soil usually mean you are overdoing the water. Curling leaves, crispy brown tips, or soil pulling away from the pot usually mean the plant is too dry, too hot, or sitting in air that is too dry. ...