It’s raking time!
I remember when my parents used to make my little brother and I rake the yard as kids. We would gather all the dead leaves from under the tall sycamores into little piles, then scrape and push all the little piles together until we had one gigantic mound of leaves. Then we would jump into [...]
Condensed Coffee Concerns
I’ve been putting coffee grounds into my house plants. They like the extra boost the ground beans provide to the soil, but I’ve noticed that the coffee tends to become compacted on the surface, inhibiting evaporation, and hindering proper water absorption.
To remedy this, I just broke up the soil on top of my house plants [...]
Croton Likes the Sunshine
Question: Is it good to put a Croton plant outside?
Answer: In the Summertime, yes it is. Croton loves sunlight and your back yard, or sunny porch would be a great place for it. Make sure the soil doesn’t dry out, this is NOT a drought resistant plant.
If you choose to put it outside, keep an [...]
Christmas Cactus Questions
Q: I have five Christmas cacti that had flowers on them when I brought them home but haven’t re-bloomed yet. What’s the deal? I have them in bright light and I feed them violet food, but no flowers, what should I do?
A: There’s a lot going on in this question. First, when did you bring [...]
Gardenia Growing
Q: I have a gardenia topiary in a North facing window in my house. Some of the leaves are turning brown and some of the branches are wilting. Why? Please help!
A: Ah, gardenias. The famous white bloom Billie Holiday wore in her hair. Popular in the Southern US, these plants are native to Asia and [...]
A Picture Tour of My Urban Vegetable Garden
Even though I live in the city, I like to have fresh, organic produce on hand. I also like to know that my yard space is being put to good use. I used about a third of my fenced in back yard to create a veggie garden that I’m very proud of. The space is [...]
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Eureka!!!
I’ve been stuffing spent coffee grounds into my houseplants and they love it! No fruit flies, no risk of bringing in hitch hikers from my outdoor compost!
Croton Questions and Profile
Q: I bought a croton plant about a month ago but now the leaves are droopy. It still has its colors but what can I be doing to make it like it is?
A: More than likely, it is being under watered, or does not have enough light. Croton greedily gobbles up sunlight and water. It [...]
Reader Mail: Spent Daisy Blooms
Q: My daisies are spent and all that remains are the dead flower heads. Should I cut these off, or leave them?
A: You should snip the dead heads. Daisies are perennials , and will come back next year. Whenever you have a flower or plant that is done blooming, you should cut off the dead [...]
Reader Question
Q: Can banana peels be used as fertilizer for indoor houseplants?
A: Yes, but they must be composted. You can’t just lay a banana peel on the dirt of a houseplant. Though it eventually would work its way into the soil, it would take weeks. Also, you would probably get fruit flies and mold before it [...]