Elsa 
You walk past your porch, catch a whiff of something sour, and realize it’s coming from your favorite basket. If you’ve been asking yourself “why are my hanging baskets smelling,” you’re not alone. A bad odor is one of the clearest warning signs a basket can give you. The good news is that most smells … Read more >>
A single dieffenbachia leaf can’t grow into a new plant. A leaf has no node, the small growth point on the stem where buds wake up and push out new shoots. Without that bud, a leaf can stay green for weeks, but it has nothing to build a new stem from. To propagate dieffenbachia from … Read more >>
Picking the best plants for hydroponics is the single biggest factor in whether your first grow goes well. Some crops love life in water. Others fight you every step of the way. In this guide, I’ll walk you through 15 easy picks, from fast leafy greens to fruiting crops that reward a little extra effort. … Read more >>
Few things are more frustrating than watching a lush basket fade from deep green to pale yellow in the middle of summer. If you’ve noticed your hanging baskets turning yellow, the good news is that the cause is usually simple, and most baskets bounce back with the right fix. In this guide, I’ll walk you … Read more >>
Your hanging baskets looked full and lush in May. Now it’s July, and they’re a tangle of long, bare stems with a few flowers dangling at the tips. If you’re asking yourself, “Why have my hanging baskets gone leggy?”, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common summer basket complaints. The good news … Read more >>
Cactus mix on its own is a poor fit for a dieffenbachia. It drains fast and holds little food or water, while this tropical plant wants soil that stays lightly moist between drinks. You can use cactus soil for dieffenbachia only as a minor ingredient, blended about one part cactus mix to two parts regular … Read more >>
Seeing a jade plant stem turning black is scary. Jade plants are tough, so a dark, ugly stem feels like a sign that something has gone badly wrong. The good news is that not every dark stem is a death sentence. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to tell harmless aging from real … Read more >>
True lotus plants (Nelumbo) are not listed as toxic to cats by the ASPCA, and people in many parts of the world eat their roots and seeds, so a nibble on a lotus leaf is not a poisoning emergency. Your cat can still throw up after chewing a big piece, because any plant material can … Read more >>
If you’ve been eyeing those sleek water-based gardens, you’ve probably asked yourself: is hydroponic better than soil? It’s a fair question, and the honest answer depends on what you grow, where you live and how much time you want to spend checking on your plants. In this guide, I’ll walk you through where each method … Read more >>
If you’ve noticed your jade plant leaves turning dark green, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common things jade owners notice, especially after a plant moves indoors or spends a winter away from a sunny window. The good news is that dark green leaves are rarely a sign of disease. In most cases, … Read more >>