Elsa 
You make podocarpus grow thicker by giving it at least six hours of sun, then pinching or lightly shearing the soft new tips each spring and early summer so every cut stem branches into two or more shoots. Add a light spring feeding of slow-release fertilizer, deep watering in well-drained soil, and a hedge shape … Read more >>
You can grow sweet corn in a square foot garden by planting four seeds per 1-foot square, in a block of at least 4 x 4 squares, on the north side of your beds. That works out to 64 plants in one standard 4 x 4 bed, enough for wind to carry pollen from tassel … Read more >>
Most cabbage plants produce one main head, and that head weighs about 1 to 3 pounds for small early varieties or 4 to 8 pounds or more for large late varieties. If you cut the head carefully and leave the stem and lower leaves in place, the same plant often adds 2 to 4 small … Read more >>
Dieffenbachia, the big-leaved houseplant most people call dumb cane, is one of the easier tropical plants you can grow indoors. Good dieffenbachia care comes down to bright indirect light, watering when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil are dry, warm rooms between 65 and 80°F, and a loose potting mix in a pot … Read more >>
Plant one bell pepper per square in a square foot bed. For square foot gardening bell peppers, I recommend one plant in each 12-inch square, because a pepper grows into a bushy, 18- to 24-inch-wide plant that needs its whole square for roots, sun, and airflow. A standard 4 x 4 bed holds up to … Read more >>
Water a dieffenbachia when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil feel dry, which works out to about every 7 to 10 days indoors in spring and summer and less often in fall and winter. When it’s time, soak the pot until water runs out the bottom, then let it drain fully. That one … Read more >>
A yellow leaf on a dumb cane is a clue, and the pattern tells you what it means. When yellowing is limited to one or two of the oldest bottom leaves while new growth stays green, that’s normal aging; when several leaves yellow at once, overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause, followed … Read more >>
You can split a dieffenbachia when the pot holds more than one stem, or when small shoots (offsets) have popped up at the base with their own roots. To split a dieffenbachia, slide it out of the pot in spring or early summer, find stems that each have their own roots, ease them apart by … Read more >>
Some of the best houseplants never put on a flower show. Non-flowering plants win you over with texture, shape, and leaf color instead. They also skip the dropped petals and the sticky pollen. In this guide, I’ll explain what truly counts as non-flowering. Then I’ll share 15 easy picks, split between true non-bloomers and foliage … Read more >>
When dieffenbachia leaves start turning brown, the plant is telling you something in its care has slipped. Most brown leaves on a dieffenbachia come from uneven watering, dry indoor air, or too much direct sun, with salt buildup from tap water or fertilizer close behind. Cold drafts, root rot, and leaf spot disease cause the … Read more >>