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Yes, you can grow lotus in soil. In fact, lotus has to grow in soil. The best soil for a potted lotus is a heavy clay loam with little organic matter, kept under 2 to 4 inches of water in a wide pot with no drainage holes. The heavy clay holds the tuber in place, … Read more >>
A bush zucchini plant needs a 2 x 2 block of four squares in a standard grid bed, and big, sprawling types can claim up to nine squares. For zucchini in a square foot garden, I give each bush plant at least four squares, or I tie it to a sturdy stake so it fits … Read more >>
Hardy lotus grows best in USDA zones 6 to 10, where summers stay hot, and it survives in zones 4 to 10 as long as the tuber never freezes solid. Both sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and the native American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) fit that range. Winter cold decides whether your lotus lives. Summer heat decides … Read more >>
Strawberries are the best fruit to plant in a square foot garden for most home gardeners, because four plants fit in a single 1-foot square and they come back for 3 to 4 years. After strawberries, my top picks are cherry tomatoes and ground cherries at one per square, plus small melons and icebox watermelons … Read more >>
If you or someone in your home has allergies, the worst indoor plants for allergies are the ones that shed pollen, release spores, or carry allergens in their sap. The plants I’d skip first are weeping fig (Ficus benjamina), chrysanthemums, African violets, ferns, and strongly scented bloomers like jasmine and hyacinth, because each one puts … Read more >>
Yes, you can plant cabbage next to asparagus, as long as “next to” means beside the bed and never inside it. Plant cabbage at least 18 to 24 inches outside the edge of your asparagus bed, so you can dig, feed, and harvest cabbage without touching the asparagus crowns. The two crops don’t harm each … Read more >>
A dracaena that looks like it’s dying can often be saved, because these plants store a lot of energy in their thick canes. As long as part of the cane is firm and some roots are white or tan, the plant can push out new leaves once you fix the cause. To save a dying … Read more >>
Lemongrass smells great, and that citrusy scent does bother mosquitoes. A living lemongrass plant does very little to keep mosquitoes off you; crushed leaves and lemongrass oil repel them briefly, and an EPA-registered repellent with DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus protects you for hours longer. So if you’re asking whether lemongrass repels mosquitoes, … Read more >>
Yes, lotus plants need full sun: at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day, and 8 or more hours if you want the most flowers. I’d only give a lotus afternoon shade in hot desert areas like the Southwest, where the strong sun can scorch leaves and overheat a small container. A lotus in … Read more >>
Most lotus plants grow happily in plain fresh water, as long as you keep it in a sensible range. The best water quality for lotus is warm, calm, fresh water with a pH between about 6.5 and 7.5, hardness well under 1,000 ppm, no lingering chlorine, and at least 2 inches of water covering the … Read more >>
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