Verdia · Library
Why should the potting medium be recorded alongside a moisture observation?
Keep the growing-medium description with observations instead of treating every pot as the same material.
Name what is known and leave the rest uncertain
The growing medium is part of the context for a moisture or drainage observation. Record the product name or ingredients when they are actually known, the approximate age of the setup if known, and any visible change. If the medium is unidentified, write that instead of assigning a familiar label from its surface appearance.
This record does not prescribe a replacement mix or a repotting interval. A product label and the requirements of a correctly identified plant are more useful than a guess based on one photograph. Avoid combining recommendations for different plants or substrates into a generic recipe.
Example medium record
- Record the container and plant identifier beside the medium description; include known pot dimensions and the measurement unit.
- Separate a known product name from an observation such as “surface crust visible”.
- Date later changes so that earlier moisture observations can be interpreted in their original setup.