Next time give it less water for its first watering. Just water lightly enough to moisten the top layer of soil and avoid watering at the base of the plant. Watering this way you will encourage the roots to reach out to the sides of the pot, versus sitting in water. This leads to root rot, which can be a death sentence even for a mature plant. Also I would leave the soil uncovered, as this also contributed to the soil remaining too damp
like 1
