Decision Rules
A stability-first checklist for choosing safe actions without urgency or stack-fixes. These rules keep decisions calm, bounded, and repeatable so cause stays visible.
The Core Rules
Rule 1 — Stability is the gate
If conditions are not stable, outcomes will not be predictable. Stabilize environment and root-zone behavior first.
Rule 2 — Roots before leaves
Leaves show symptoms; roots often hold the cause. If the root zone stays wet too long, fix that first.
Rule 3 — Observation before action
Confirm what is happening, not what you hope is happening. Observation prevents reactive errors.
Rule 4 — One variable per window
Multiple changes erase cause and create noise. Make one bounded change, then observe.
Rule 5 — Diagnose before treating
Treatments are tools, not solutions. Treating the wrong cause often worsens the plant.
Rule 6 — Every action needs a stop point
Define exit criteria before you start. If you cannot define when to stop, do not start.
What These Rules Prevent
Rot cascades
Chronic wetness weakens roots and can progress into stem rot. Stability-first interrupts the cascade early.
False deficiency diagnoses
Low light, wet roots, and seasonal shifts can mimic nutrient issues. Observation prevents wrong feeding.
Stack-fix damage
Stacking water, fertilizer, and sprays hides cause and increases stress. One variable keeps cause visible.
Calendar mistakes
Calendars do not know your weather or your plant. These rules replace schedules with evidence and boundaries.
Decision Flow
- Stabilize: stop escalation; hold conditions steady: light, airflow, temperature, and moisture.
- Verify: check root-zone moisture and drainage; inspect leaf undersides; confirm high-confidence signals.
- Choose one move: make the smallest effective change that matches the verified cause category.
- Observe: keep an observation window; document response. A photo and note is enough.
- Decide: continue, adjust, or stop based on exit criteria.
High-confidence STOP signals
High-confidence WAIT signals
- You are unsure whether it needs water
- Mix is damp below the surface
- Weather is cool, cloudy, or low light
- You already changed something recently
Checklists
Before you water
- Is the mix drying, not just the surface?
- Does the pot feel light compared to wet weight?
- Is the weather warm and bright enough for active use?
- Is drainage fast and consistent?
Before you fertilize
- Is growth stable and predictable?
- Is the root zone healthy and not staying wet too long?
- Is the plant recovering from stress or actively thriving?
- Can you define what success looks like?
Before you treat
- Have you confirmed the cause category: pest, fungal, or environment?
- Have you inspected leaf undersides and nodes?
- Are you avoiding stacking products?
- Do you know when you will stop?
Single-variable rule
If you change more than one thing, you will not know what helped or harmed. Choose the smallest effective move and observe the response.
Examples
Example: Yellow leaves
Default internet response: add fertilizer. TPW response: verify moisture, drainage, and light first. If the mix is wet, you do not feed. You stabilize.
Example: Spots on leaves
Default response: spray multiple products. TPW response: inspect undersides for mites or pests, confirm the pattern, then choose one bounded action.
Example: I changed three things
TPW response: reset. Hold conditions steady and return to one change at a time so cause becomes visible again.
Printable Version
Bench sheet
The printable Decision Rules sheet is being updated. Use this page as the current bench reference until the replacement file is uploaded.
Use it like this
- Read the STOP signals first
- Run the Before You Water checks
- Choose one bounded move
- Write your stop point before you start