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The soil of my Monstera has been moist for 5-6 weeks at least. Is this normal?

The very top layer feels dry but if I stick my finger as far as my knuckle it’s still moist, and if I really dig deeper into the soil there are wet little soil pellets here and there. (Def does not feel saturated.) I thought it was ok since it was winter but now that we’re headed into spring, I’m not sure if I should be concerned. I’ve had it since May 2019 and haven’t noticed this before.

It’s placed in a bright room about 12-15 feet away from a large east-facing window.

Linking to pictures taken this morning. The one with me holding it was taken in May when I brought it home.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/c3EHGaXs744KgTh86

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  • That looks like a self watering pot it's planted in - is it,or is the tray on the bottom just attached to the pot?
    – Bamboo
    Commented Mar 21, 2020 at 18:04
  • No the tray isn’t attached and it’s not self watering. It just matches!
    – REBelle
    Commented Mar 21, 2020 at 19:07
  • ok, next question! when you water, do you empty out that tray after 30 minutes? and what's average temperature in the room where its kept?
    – Bamboo
    Commented Mar 21, 2020 at 19:11
  • Somewhere between 55-65 in the winter? I don’t have a thermometer but that’s my guess bc I always have to wear a sweater. And no I never empty the water tray.
    – REBelle
    Commented Mar 22, 2020 at 13:49

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Okay, well let the soil dry out a bit more, but watering rules are these; water when the surface of the potting soil feels just about dry to the touch, but not so dry its shrunken from the sides of the pot; water well, and allow the excess to drain away freely from the base of the pot. Empty any outer pot or tray 30 minutes after watering, and again 30 minutes later if more has collected. The point of this is so the plant is not left sitting in water after it's taken up what it needs. The low temperature you have indoors is probably why its taken so long to dry out a bit, and maybe there was water in the tray when you watered it last. Note there is no need to push your fingers down into the pot to test the moisture content - just water when the surface feels a bit dry and let the plant drain down properly.

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