Check out all our blog posts on Indoor gardening.
Yes, most indoor plants can go outside for the summer once nights stay above 55°F, as long as you start them in full shade and ease them into brighter light over one to two weeks. Tropical foliage plants, succulents, and many flowering houseplants grow faster outdoors thanks to stronger light, fresh air, and higher humidity. … Read more >>
Most houseplants do fine with window light from spring through early fall. Once you have a dim room, a north window, or the short days of a Northeast or Midwest winter, a grow light makes up the difference. For most homes, I’d pick a full-spectrum white LED grow light, set 6 to 12 inches above … Read more >>
A balcony herb garden is one of the easiest ways to cook with fresh flavor every day, even without a yard. A few pots of basil, thyme, and mint can turn a small outdoor space into a working kitchen garden. My advice is to start small, match your herbs to your light, and build from … Read more >>
You walk past your porch, catch a whiff of something sour, and realize it’s coming from your favorite basket. If you’ve been asking yourself “why are my hanging baskets smelling,” you’re not alone. A bad odor is one of the clearest warning signs a basket can give you. The good news is that most smells … Read more >>
A single dieffenbachia leaf can’t grow into a new plant. A leaf has no node, the small growth point on the stem where buds wake up and push out new shoots. Without that bud, a leaf can stay green for weeks, but it has nothing to build a new stem from. To propagate dieffenbachia from … Read more >>
Few things are more frustrating than watching a lush basket fade from deep green to pale yellow in the middle of summer. If you’ve noticed your hanging baskets turning yellow, the good news is that the cause is usually simple, and most baskets bounce back with the right fix. In this guide, I’ll walk you … Read more >>
Your hanging baskets looked full and lush in May. Now it’s July, and they’re a tangle of long, bare stems with a few flowers dangling at the tips. If you’re asking yourself, “Why have my hanging baskets gone leggy?”, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common summer basket complaints. The good news … Read more >>
Cactus mix on its own is a poor fit for a dieffenbachia. It drains fast and holds little food or water, while this tropical plant wants soil that stays lightly moist between drinks. You can use cactus soil for dieffenbachia only as a minor ingredient, blended about one part cactus mix to two parts regular … Read more >>
Finding aphids on jade plant leaves can be a surprise, because jade is a tough succulent that rarely draws these pests. When aphids do show up, they cluster on soft new growth and flower buds. The good news is that they are easy to control once you know what to do. In this guide, I’ll … Read more >>
My top pick among tall indoor plants for low light is the dracaena, especially the corn plant and its dark-green cultivar ‘Janet Craig,’ because it forms a real tree shape and keeps its leaves in a dim corner where most floor plants drop theirs. If your corner is narrow, a tall snake plant is my … Read more >>