If you’ve ever dug up a forked carrot or a scabby potato, you know root crops can be fussy. That’s why I love vegetables that grow above the ground. You can see them ripen, pick them without a shovel, and grow them in almost any bed or pot. In this guide, I’ll walk you through … Read more >>
Worm castings are a gentle plant food for seedlings and pots; mushroom compost builds whole garden beds. Here is when to use each.
A drooping peace lily is usually thirsty, but wet soil means overwatering or root rot. Check the soil first, then use these simple fixes.
Grow a healthy, blooming lotus at home: the right container, soil, sun, water depth, feeding and winter care for your USDA zone, in simple steps.
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 >>
Yes, you can plant cabbage and peas together, as long as the peas climb a trellis on the north side of the bed and each cabbage gets 18 to 24 inches of its own space. Both are cool-season crops, so they want the same chilly spring and fall weather and go into the ground at … Read more >>
An oyster plant (Tradescantia spathacea) has stiff, upright leaves, so drooping leaves are a clear sign that something has disrupted its water supply. Oyster plant drooping almost always comes from soil that’s too dry or too wet, cold air below 50°F, or roots that were disturbed or crowded, and you fix it by correcting that … Read more >>
Yes, oyster plant is mildly toxic to cats. Its sap holds tiny, sharp crystals that sting the mouth when a cat chews a leaf. That leads to drooling, pawing at the face, and sometimes vomiting. Most cases stay mild and pass within a few hours. The same sap can bother dogs and people too, mostly … Read more >>
No, oyster plants don’t need a lot of water. I water mine only when the top inch of soil feels dry, which works out to about once a week in warm months and every 10 to 14 days in winter for most indoor pots. The oyster plant (Tradescantia spathacea) stores moisture in its thick leaves, … Read more >>
Space oyster plants 12 to 18 inches apart, measured from the center of one plant to the center of the next. Use 12 inches when you want a solid groundcover fast, and 18 inches when you want each rosette to keep its shape and get better airflow. That small range covers almost every bed, border, … Read more >>