When a ZZ plant starts falling over, the most common culprit is wet soil that has started to rot the rhizomes and stalk bases. A ZZ plant falls over most often because overwatering has softened its rhizomes, followed by too little light, a top-heavy clump in a small or light pot, and less often thirst, … Read more >>
Hanging baskets make a porch feel finished. But if every evening out there turns into a swatting session, your plants might be part of the problem, though probably not in the way you think. The good news is that you can keep mosquitoes away from hanging plants without giving up your ferns, petunias, or trailing … Read more >>
An overwatered areca palm shows yellow lower fronds, limp drooping growth, and soil that stays soggy for days. When soil stays that wet, the roots can’t get air, and they start to rot. To fix areca palm overwatering, stop watering, empty any standing water, check the roots, trim off any mushy brown ones, and repot … Read more >>
Lemongrass needs two kinds of cutting each year: light tidying in summer and one hard cutback in late winter or early spring. To trim lemongrass, pull or snip off brown leaves as they show up, and once a year, just before new growth starts, cut the whole clump down to about 6 to 12 inches … Read more >>
Pink and purple are two of the easiest colors to love in a hanging basket. They look soft in the morning, rich in the evening light, and they pair with almost any porch, patio or fence. If you want a basket that looks full from spring to frost, hanging plants with pink and purple flowers … Read more >>
Yes, you can keep lemongrass alive and growing inside your home through the coldest US winter. To grow lemongrass indoors, give it a large pot with drainage, at least 6 hours of direct sun or an LED grow light, temperatures above 60°F, and soil that stays lightly moist. With that setup, you can cut fresh … Read more >>
Yes, lemongrass comes back every year, but only where winters stay frost-free or where you protect it from cold. Lemongrass returns on its own outdoors in USDA zones 10 and 11, often survives zone 9 with mulch and frost cover, and comes back in zones 8 and colder only if you overwinter it indoors or … Read more >>
You can grow lemongrass in pots almost anywhere in the US, even where winters dip well below freezing. Plant one lemongrass plant in a 5- to 10-gallon pot with drainage holes, fill it with a rich, well-draining potting mix, give it at least six hours of direct sun, and water whenever the top inch of … Read more >>
A hot summer can turn a lush hanging basket into a crispy mess in just a few days. Baskets hang in the open air, so sun and wind hit them from every side. My advice is to start with plants built for heat and then give them the right basket, mix and watering routine. In … Read more >>
The ASPCA lists lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, so I treat it as a plant to keep away from pets. Is lemongrass safe for cats? No, the plant is toxic to cats, but most cases involve mild stomach upset, while lemongrass essential oil is far more dangerous. A few … Read more >>