There’s a moment every new gardener hits.
The plant looks “off.”
Leaves aren’t crisp. Growth has stalled. Panic sets in.
So you water more. Or spray neem. Or add fertiliser. Or all three in one evening.
That’s usually when the plant actually dies.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
most plants don’t die from pests — they die from confused owners.
Start with the boring checks
Before blaming insects or bad seeds, answer these honestly:
- Is the soil still wet from yesterday?
- Does the pot actually drain, or does water sit at the bottom?
- Did you move the plant recently?
- Did you feed it when it wasn’t growing?
Plants don’t respond well to “trying everything.”
Yellow leaves don’t mean hunger
In containers, yellow leaves usually mean:
- Roots can’t breathe
- Soil is staying wet too long
- Drainage is poor
Adding fertiliser here is like giving protein shakes to someone who can’t breathe.
Curling leaves aren’t drama
Curling is stress. Heat, wind, transplant shock, or pests sometimes — not always.
Neem oil won’t fix stress.
Time and restraint will.
The hardest skill in gardening
Not watering.
Not spraying.
Not “doing something.”
Observation is the real skill.
If you pause instead of panic, most plants recover on their own.