I bought this small bird of paradise plant ~2 months ago. I didn't water it enough in the beginning and the leaves began to curl. I then started watering every 2-3 days. Recently the bottom leaves have been drooping; the stems are turning brown and look like they are drying up. PLEASE HELP

Just as with your creeping Jenny, you are overwatering! Your problem is that when you overwater OR underwater the symptoms look the same. Why? Because in either case, the roots die.
When you buy a plant, they need time to adjust. You can't jump in there and water too much, or you start to with hold water. They need some consistency.
What you need to do is water only when the top half inch of soil is dry. You don't water according to what your eyes see!! To be honest as a new plant grower, your eyes have no idea of what it is that they see!!! But if you wait for top soil dryness, then water a second time when the soil dries again, that will get you some consistency.
Please remember that repotting is not a cure for anything and fertilizer is not a tonic to fix plants. It is not needed!

Bill forgot to mention that when you do water, you water until it trickles out the drain hole so you know it got into the root zone.

Thanks Carol!

I would add more pumice to that very soggy dense media and position that plant as close as possible to a sunny south side window. They can take frequent watering nicely as long as that media is very well draining and conditions stay very warm and lots of sun access.

I enjoy watching them grow happily when I was living in SoCal, in full sun there, lots of airflow. With drip watering systems and heavily mulched there to augment the lack of rainfall and help retain moisture it needs in Cali during the dry months.

In my homeland, they grow like weeds always outdoors, enjoying intense humid heat and full sun.

So the poor plant is begging you, give it more light and make its media well draining so its roots can breathe and allow good airflow at root zone too as it tries to take in the needed moisture. Btw, do not apply fertilizers at this point. Your plant is in severe stress. Just allow it to recover for now.

The darkening of the lower main stem is not a good sign. The already brown older leaves can be trimmed off, but the main stem is your White Bird's future. If it is soft and mushy or the discoloration starts to spread up that stem, I'm afraid you will lose the plant.

It is hard to know the exact cause as the roots were initially dehydrated and more recently may be suffocating from excess water. Proper and consistent watering is very important. So is good light.

For now, provide as much direct indoor sun as possible. Allow the top inch of soil to dry before adding enough water so that the top inch of soil dries again in about a week. I hope it recovers for you.

Hi, when the plant grew its branches, I waited for the stem to dry completely, and then I cut it short, and when I bought it, it also had a few short dry branches. Where should I shorten the failure? Should I wait until it turns brown and dry, or when I cut the green?