Introduction Photo: Wildfeuer (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Felloni claire (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Mk2010 (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) African Violets – Colorful, Beautiful Blooms for Your Home The African violet, botanically Saintpaulia ionantha, is one of the most rewarding flowering houseplants you can grow indoors. With its compact growth habit…
Introduction Photo: Agnes Monkelbaan (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Ezhuttukari (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Wilfredor (CC0, Wikimedia Commons) Anthurium – Properly Caring for the Exotic Flamingo Flower The anthurium, also known as the flamingo flower, is one of the most striking flowering houseplants. With its heart-shaped, brilliant red bracts and its distinctive…
Introduction Photo: Agnes Monkelbaan (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Mister rf (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Christmas Cactus – Care, Blooming Season, and Propagation The Christmas cactus, botanically known as Schlumbergera, is one of the most popular flowering houseplants for the winter months. Despite its name, it isn’t a desert cactus at all, but…
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…
“More is better” is unfortunately one of the most common — and most dangerous — myths in plant fertilizing. Overfertilizing can seriously damage your plants and, in the worst case, kill them. The symptoms are often unmistakable, yet they’re regularly misread. Typical Symptoms of Overfertilization Watch for these warning signs: brown, dry leaf edges and…
When a houseplant’s leaves change color or shape unexpectedly, it’s often trying to tell you it’s missing a specific nutrient. Learning to read these signals lets you fix the problem quickly instead of guessing. Here are the most common deficiencies, what they look like, and how to correct them. Nitrogen Deficiency Nitrogen is mobile within…
Photo: Jsch623 (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Tony Atkin (CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Nigel Jones (CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons) Houseplants need nutrients all year round, but definitely not the same amount at every time of year. A structured feeding schedule helps you keep your plants properly nourished without falling into the…
Waterlogging is the number one cause of death for houseplants — ahead of pests or lack of light. Good drainage is therefore not an optional extra, but an absolute must. But what exactly does drainage do, which material works best, and are there situations where you can skip it? What Drainage Does A drainage layer…
Photo: D-Kuru (CC BY-SA 3.0 at, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Tero Keski-Valkama (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Tero Keski-Valkama (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Scale insects and their fuzzy relatives, mealybugs, are among the most stubborn pests on houseplants. They cling motionless to stems and leaves, suck plant sap, and excrete sticky honeydew. If you…
Photo: Aleksey Gnilenkov from Moscow, Russia (CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: division, CSIRO (CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Aleksey Gnilenkov from Moscow, Russia (CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons) Spider mites are almost impossible to see with the naked eye — but the damage they cause is impossible to miss. They multiply explosively, especially…
