>> I trimed most of the lower leaves
>> slightly dehydrated, that would give them more flexibility.
>> One would never want wet soil; the constant bouncing and vibration would compact the soil,
>> looking at the whole picture, as well as the individual parts,
I agree with all of the above.
When debugging software, or designing a system, I call that avoiding tunnel vision, thinking outside the box, or keeping an open mind. It's surprisingly hard. Almost any good idea I've had or heard at work or in the garden was accompanied by a head-smack and "DUHH! That's obvious NOW. Why didn't I think of it sooner?"
Thinking new thoughts is hard.