One of My Favorite Places, Part 2
The weather here has been rainy and drab for ohh, about two months now. This has really pushed back the timing of planting my garden. Normally around this time of year, my tropical indoor plants would have been out enjoying the sun for a few weeks, but the rain has kept temperatures low, so they [...]
Phalaenopsis Orchid Bloom!
My orchid recently came into bloom! I’m super excited about this because it’s my first really successful orchid. (I admittedly have a little eensy weensy problem with over watering them…) The best thing i can say about orchids is “Set it and Forget it”. Basically, you have to go through your home and find a [...]
Sprouts!
My little veggie operation is off to a smooth start! I have sprouts! I’ve been going downstairs and watering the seeds every day, and making sure the drainage is good. Most of the seeds are in little plastic containers with drainage holes on the bottoms, and the big tray itself has drainage holes in it [...]
Sticky Spider Silk
Dear Ivy,
I have an ivy plant with spider silk on the leaves, how do I clean it off?
-Clean as a Whistle
Dear Whistle,
First, raise your right hand and repeat after me:
“I (your name) promise not kill any spiders that live in my plants.
They are helpful creatures and they control pests.
If I absolutely, positively cannot deal with [...]
Medicinal Milk for Mildew
Dear Ivy,
What is this causing these white powdery spots all over my ivy?
-Dusty Tendrils
Dear Dusty,
My first guess is to say powdery mildew. Yikes! Get in there and get crackin’! This problem is fixable if you act quickly. I’m not sure if this is an indoor plant or not, but the same basic guidelines apply to [...]
Night Stalks
Dear Ivy,
Is bringing potted plants into our bedroom during the evening a healthful practice?
-Winkin, Blinkin and Sod
Dear Winkin, et all…
Here is a short lesson in botany…
When plants are exposed to sunlight during the day, they use their energy for photosynthesis. This creates oxygen as a by-product. During the evening, when there is no sunlight, and [...]
Indoor Edibles
Dear Ivy,
Are there any edible plants that will survive as indoor plants?
-Hungry Heather
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1970
Dear Hungry,
There are loads of edible plants that will thrive indoors! It’s only a matter of what you want to put into them that limits your options. Most plants that have a high output (i.e.- that create food or lage flowers) need high [...]
It’s Spring Time!
Ok, ok, it’s not really Spring yet. Not for about 5 weeks in my neck of the woods. But the weather here took a turn for the warmer today. It might have been the first direct sunlight my plants got in months! Spring means so many things to me. It’s time to start sprouting seeds [...]
Even Plants Get the Winter Blues
Dear Ivy,
The branches of my Croton are old and black looking, help!
Sincerely,
Croaking Croton
Dear Croaking,
My first reaction, since it’s the dead of Winter would be to say that your Croton is being exposed to a draft! Croton is a tropical plant that needs constant warm temperatures to thrive. This beautiful house plant is a bit demanding, [...]
Legginess is a bad thing?!
Dear Ivy,
Why is my grape ivy indoor plant leggy?
-Long Tall Sally
Dear Sally,
Leggy is something that we’d all like to be, but something you shouldn’t look for in a healthy indoor plant. Luckily, this problem is easy to fix.
“Leggy” refers to a growth pattern some plants will resort to when they aren’t getting enough sunlight. The [...]