Delete node after comparing it to left node - c

Question

So I am writing this program when the node is deleted if it is greater than the node to the left to it, and finds the number of iterations after which no node is deleted. I came up with this, but the int daysalways remains at 0.
#include<stdio.h>
#include<malloc.h>
struct plants{
int val;
struct plants *next;
};
void printlist();
int main(){
int counter=0;
int size=0;
int days=0;
printf("Enter the number of plants\n");
scanf("%d",&size);
printf("Enter the amount of pesticide each plant has.\n");
struct plants* head = NULL;
while( counter < size )
{
struct plants * current = malloc(sizeof(struct plants));
scanf( "%d", &current->val);
current->next = head;
head = current;
counter ++;
}
struct plants *temp = head;
printf("You have entered.\n");
while(temp!=NULL){
printf("%d\t",temp->val);
temp=temp->next;
}
struct plants *now = head;
while(counter<size){
if(now->val < now->next->val){
struct plants* nextNext = now->next->next;
days++;
free(now->next);
now->next= nextNext;
counter++;
}
else{
now = now->next;
}
}
printf("The days after which the plants stop dying %d.\n",days);
}

Answer 1

You need a pointer to the pointer of the node which you want to delete, so you can put the successor node of the node to its place:
int days = 0;
struct plants **now = &head;
while( *now != NULL && (*now)->next != NULL ) // do as long as there are two nodes to compare
{
struct plants *next = (*now)->next; // successor of the node
if ( (*now)->val < next->val ) // test if successor node is greater than node
{
free( *now ); // free the node
*now = next; // put successor of the node in place of the node
}
else
{
now = &((*now)->next); // step one forward
days ++; // increment counter because no node was deleted
}
}
An other solution would be to remember the predecessor of the current node:
int days = 0;
struct plants *now = head; // start at head of list
struct plants *prev = NULL; // predecessor of head is NULL
while( now != NULL && now->next != NULL ) // do as long as there are two nodes to compare
{
struct plants *next = now->next; // successor of the node
if ( now->val < next->val ) // test if successor node is greater than node
{
free( now ); // free the node
if ( prev == NULL ) // put successor of the node in place of the node
head = next; // the first node of the list was deleted
else
prev->next = next; // successor of predecessor is predecessor of deleted node
now = next; // step one forward
// note "prev" does not change in this case
}
else
{
prev = now;
now = now->next; // step one forward
days ++; // increment counter because no node was deleted
}
}

Answer 2

Look:
while( counter < size )
{
struct plants * current = malloc(sizeof(struct plants));
scanf( "%d", &current->val);
current->next = head;
head = current;
counter ++;
}
//counter == size
struct plants *temp = head;
printf("You have entered.\n");
while(temp!=NULL){
printf("%d\t",temp->val);
temp=temp->next;
}
struct plants *now = head;
//counter == size
while(counter<size){
if(now->val < now->next->val){
struct plants* nextNext = now->next->next;
days++;
free(now->next);
now->next= nextNext;
counter++;
}
else{
now = now->next;
}
}
You didn't reset the value of counter