Paging Dr. Greenthumbs
Dear Ivy,
I wanted to ask you a plant question. I’ve inherited the responsibilities of caring for the dilapidated peacy lily at my mom’s taekwondo school. It’s about eight feet from the windows so I’m wondering what other problems I should tackle first.
The damage is pretty typical: tips and edges of the biggest leaves are crispy [...]
Concerned About Cloning
Dear Ivy,
I’m learning about plants and love the Pothos plant. My question is this: I looked up your blog saw how to clone a Pothos so I did it. It’s not dying, but it’s not growing the roots yet out of the nodes and do I have to wait until Spring or Summer to do [...]
Backyard Biters
Dear Ivy,
Are these black and yellow spiders you’re always writing about biters?
-Worried in Wisconsin
Dear Worried,
I would like to put your mind at ease. These garden partners are shy and would sooner skitter away under a bush than stand and fight, so to speak. I often get questions about the aggression levels of this spider, and [...]
ZZ Emergency
Dear Ivy,
I had 2 very healthy ZZ plants (several branches over 2 feet long), that I left outside for a few weeks in the Sydney winter. They were in a dry spot but when I brought them in side, most branches died off, lost their leaves and even fell off the plant; one has [...]
Gardenia Bonsai
Dear Ivy,
I was given a Gardenia Bonsai as a gift. How do I care for it?
Dear Reader,
Excellent question! I had to figure this out for myself earlier this year! I was given one as a gift as well. It arrived in a box full of styrofoam packing peanuts. So far, it’s done pretty well. I [...]
Special Ivy Plants
Dear Ivy,
I have two ivy plants from a family member’s funeral. They are turning brown and dying. What do I do? Please help!
Thank You
Dear Reader,
Let me start off by saying I am so very sorry for your loss. I know many people that have “funeral plants”. I personally have one. These are living plants used [...]
New Addition
Dear Ivy,
I just got a 6″ Celosia plant as a gift. How do I care for it? Where do I place it? How frequently do I need to water and fertilize it?
-Curious
Dear Curious,
I would say that whomever gave you this plant surely thinks you have good taste, and a green thumb! Celosia are beautiful [...]
Reader Mail
Dear Ivy,
When you dead-head a petunia, can you just pluck the dead flower or should you snip it a little lower? What about those little mini petunias, do you have to deadhead those too?
Thanks very much,
Evary
Dear Evary,
This is a great question! A good opportunity to explain to my readers the practice of “Dead [...]
Christmas Cactus Quandary
Dear Ivy,
How often should I water my Christmas cactus?
-Christmas Chris
Dear Chris,
Let’s explore some things about this interesting little exotic! First off, let’s get one thing out of the way… The “Christmas Cactus” Is not actually a cactus. In fact, it’s an epiphyte, like an orchid. CC’s and orchids share the same habitat in the wild. [...]
Hens and Chicks
Dear Ivy,
How often do I water my hen and chick plant?
-Mothering Myrtle
Dear Myrtle,
In a few words… Not often! These plants, known as hens and chicks, because of the way they grow (the “mother hen” sends off little buds exactly like little versions of herself), or, also known as “Semper Vivum” (”always alive”), are a true [...]