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Seeing a jade plant stem turning black is scary. Jade plants are tough, so a dark, ugly stem feels like a sign that something has gone badly wrong. The good news is that not every dark stem is a death sentence. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to tell harmless aging from real … Read more >>
True lotus plants (Nelumbo) are not listed as toxic to cats by the ASPCA, and people in many parts of the world eat their roots and seeds, so a nibble on a lotus leaf is not a poisoning emergency. Your cat can still throw up after chewing a big piece, because any plant material can … Read more >>
If you’ve noticed your jade plant leaves turning dark green, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common things jade owners notice, especially after a plant moves indoors or spends a winter away from a sunny window. The good news is that dark green leaves are rarely a sign of disease. In most cases, … Read more >>
Good news if you share your home with a cat: the ASPCA lists the areca palm (Dypsis lutescens) as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, so a nibbled frond won’t poison your pet. It’s one of the safest large floor plants you can bring into a pet household. That said, “non-toxic” has limits. Rabbits aren’t … Read more >>
Growing cucumbers on black plastic is one of the simplest ways to get warmer soil, fewer weeds, and cleaner fruit. Cucumbers love heat, and a dark film over the bed traps the sun’s warmth right where the roots need it. The result is often an earlier harvest and less work all summer. In this guide, … Read more >>
How many inches does a plant grow in a week? The honest answer is that it depends on the plant, the season, and the care it gets. A sunflower in July and a snake plant in January live on totally different timelines. In this guide, I’ll walk you through typical weekly growth for common plants, … Read more >>
Water trickles off lotus leaves because waxy microscopic bumps trap air under each drop, so it beads up and rolls away, cleaning the leaf as it goes.
Every shower sends gallons of perfectly usable water down the drain. If you want to reuse bathroom water for gardening, you can turn that waste into a free, steady water source for your shrubs, trees and flower beds. It takes a little care, but the process is simple. In this guide, I’ll walk you through … Read more >>
Lotus seeds will sprout in a bowl of plain water, and the seedlings can live there for a few weeks. After that, the plant needs real soil to keep going. You can start a lotus without soil, but to grow tubers and get flowers, you need to move it into heavy clay loam under shallow … Read more >>
If your lotus has healthy leaves but no flowers, it’s almost always missing one of five things. Most lotus plants that won’t bloom are short on direct sun, warm water, steady feeding, maturity, or root space, and fixing the first three solves the majority of cases. Lotus plants are heavy feeders that love heat. They’ll … Read more >>