Elsa 
Self-watering pots work best for houseplants that like evenly moist soil, such as peace lilies, ferns, African violets, pothos, and leafy herbs. They hold water in a hidden reservoir and let the soil pull it up as the roots dry. That steady supply keeps thirsty plants from swinging between soggy and bone-dry. My advice is … Read more >>
Lemongrass grows slowly for its first few weeks, then takes off once summer heat arrives. From a nursery plant set out after your last frost, you can expect your first harvestable stalks in about 3 to 4 months, while store-bought stalks take about 4 to 5 months and seeds take 5 to 6 months or … Read more >>
Pick a pot with at least one drainage hole, about 1 to 2 inches wider than the plant’s current pot, made from a material that fits how fast your plant likes to dry out. For most houseplants, that means terracotta pots for dry-loving plants and plastic pots with saucers or glazed ceramic planters for plants … Read more >>
Liquid fertilizer is the easiest way to feed most houseplants because you control exactly how much goes into each pot. For most indoor plants, I recommend a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer with micronutrients, mixed at half strength and given every 2 to 4 weeks in spring and summer. That routine gives steady growth with a … Read more >>
To get rid of spider mites on indoor plants, isolate the plant, rinse both sides of every leaf, then spray insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on the leaf undersides every 5 to 7 days for 2 to 3 weeks. That repeat schedule is the part most people skip, and it’s why mites seem to come … Read more >>
For most homes, my pick is the parlor palm or the kentia palm, because both handle the dimmer light of a typical American living room better than almost any other true palm. If you have a bright window and steady humidity, the areca palm is the classic feathery choice, and the lady palm is a … Read more >>
Most bugs in houseplant soil are either harmless decomposers or fungus gnat larvae, and drying out the top 1 to 2 inches of potting mix fixes the majority of cases. The fastest way to get rid of soil bugs is to identify them first, let the topsoil dry between waterings, trap flying adults with yellow … Read more >>
To get rid of aphids for good, isolate the plant, rinse or wipe off the colonies, then spray insecticidal soap on every stem and leaf underside every 5 to 7 days for 2 to 3 weeks. That schedule works because aphids breed fast indoors, so you have to keep treating until no new young are … Read more >>
Plant a lotus tuber with about 2 inches of water over the soil, then raise the water a few inches at a time as leaves grow, until it sits 4 to 12 inches deep for small types and 12 to 18 inches deep for large ones. That shallow start keeps the water warm and lets … Read more >>
Plant 4 full-size bok choy per square foot, or 9 baby bok choy per square, in a square foot garden. That works out to about 6 inches between standard plants and 4 inches between baby plants, which gives each head enough room to fill out without crowding its neighbors. Bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) … Read more >>
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