The moth orchid, or Phalaenopsis, is the most popular orchid grown as a houseplant, and for good reason: with the right care it rewards growers with elegant, long-lasting blooms that can last two to four months at a stretch. Understanding its native habitat as a tropical epiphyte – a plant that grows on tree branches…
Introduction Photo: Gihan Jayaweera (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Plogeo (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) What Soil pH Actually Measures Soil pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the soil is, on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Most garden plants and houseplants grow best in slightly acidic…
Introduction Photo: fir0002 flagstaffotos [at] gmail.com Canon 20D + Sigma 150mm f/2.8 (GFDL 1.2, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Softeis (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Len Worthington (CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons) Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are the most popular vegetable in home gardens β and for good reason. Nothing tastes more intense than a sun-ripened, homegrown…
Introduction Growing Cucumbers in Containers: A Small-Space Gardening Guide You donβt need a vegetable bed to grow your own cucumbers. With the right variety, container size, and watering routine, cucumbers thrive on a sunny balcony, patio, or even a windowsill planter box. Because containers dry out faster and hold less nutrient reserve than open ground,…
Few vegetables reward a home gardener as generously as peppers. Whether you are growing sweet bell peppers for salads and stir-fries or aromatic varieties for roasting, a single healthy plant can produce dozens of fruits over a season, and the flavor of a sun-ripened, homegrown pepper is far superior to anything from a supermarket shelf….
Introduction Photo: USDAgov (Public domain, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: USDAgov (Public domain, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: USDAgov (Public domain, Wikimedia Commons) What Makes Lettuce Ideal for Small Spaces Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the fastest, most forgiving crops for beginner gardeners, and loose-leaf and cut-and-come-again varieties are especially well suited to containers and small garden beds….
Introduction Photo: GT1976 (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Lmbuga (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Growing and Caring for Zucchini: From Seed to Record Harvest Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo) are the most rewarding summer vegetable you can grow. A single, well-tended plant can produce 20 to 30 fruits in a season β enough to…
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Agnieszka KwiecieΕ, Nova (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis) is one of the most reliable ground covers for difficult, deeply shaded spots. With its dense, evergreen foliage, it forms a consistently closed carpet and thrives where hardly any other plant would survive,…
Self-Watering Plant Pots: Never Forget to Water Again Self-watering plant pots are revolutionizing plant care. They’re the perfect solution for anyone who wants to give their houseplants a steady water supply without reaching for the watering can every day. In this guide, you’ll learn how self-watering systems work, what benefits they offer, and what to…
Outdoor Plant Pots: Winterproof, UV-Resistant, and Durable Not every plant pot survives a harsh winter outdoors. Frost, UV exposure, and temperature swings take a toll on materials, and in the worst case, a pot can crack open, taking a beloved plant down with it. In this guide, find out which materials really hold up to…
