Monitoring soil moisture with a plant

[Paradox]

Well I meant same soil as purchased, I get it home, trim heavily, and dead in 2 months. I see other people taking up to 1/3 off azalea.

What time of the year are those other people doing the trimming?
What kind of soil do they have their plants in?
What is the water they are watering with?
Lots of factors can determine why one person is successful and another one is not.

Could it be the time of year you are doing the trimming?
Maybe you are trimming too much at once or at the wrong time of year?

Also are these azaleas from a regular nursery in potting soil?
If you think its the pH of your water, you need to find a way to counter that. Putting a "monitor plant" in your pot isnt going to help you.
One way is putting the plant in soil that is slightly acidic such as Kanuma.
What is the pH of your water anyway?

The harsh reality is if you're not willing or able to provide the plant with an environment for it to thrive then you might as well give up on keeping Azaleas.

However I dont think soil alone is your problem here if its dead in only 2 months.
Something else is wrong

 

[nuttiest]

What time of the year are those other people doing the trimming?
What kind of soil do they have their plants in?
What is the water they are watering with?
Lots of factors can determine why one person is successful and another one is not.

Could it be the time of year you are doing the trimming?
Maybe you are trimming too much at once or at the wrong time of year?

Also are these azaleas from a regular nursery in potting soil?
If you think its the pH of your water, you need to find a way to counter that. Putting a "monitor plant" in your pot isnt going to help you.
One way is putting the plant in soil that is slightly acidic such as Kanuma.
What is the pH of your water anyway?

The harsh reality is if you're not willing or able to provide the plant with an environment for it to thrive then you might as well give up on keeping Azaleas.

However I dont think soil alone is your problem here if its dead in only 2 months.
Something else is wrong

All are good questions, I really have to examine. When I buy an azalea at my favorite stop, its because none of the other varieties I really like to work with are looking like bonsai stock. This usually happens around early summer. Now I hope that doesn't happen this year!

 

[nuttiest]

Huh. What parallels for my life as a whole, my relationships with people. Going to pick this apart and learn to be a better '____.'
Thanks Paradox.

 

[Paradox]

Huh. What parallels for my life as a whole, my relationships with people. Going to pick this apart and learn to be a better '____.'
Thanks Paradox.

Hope you can figure it out and have better luck

 

[nuttiest]

I am curious if people are using a sentinal plant to monitor soil moisture on potted trees. I am thinking of intentionally planting an indicator plant beside a bonsai tree that would droop or otherwise indicate when soil moisture was getting too low. What plants would make a good monitor of this type?

I am so glad you brought this up because I think I have identified the sentry potted plants for my lot, and I won't remember next year unless I read this. I have three daturas in pots, they are all covered in white bugs bottomside of leaf and yellow spots surface.
Going to try 3 different herbal remedies and see what works, would love to get away from systemic use on things in process.