Have you ever wondered how a humble shrub became the superstar of every holiday table? Meet the poinsettia—also known as the Christmas Star, Bethlehem Star, Mexican Flame Flower, or simply Euphorbia pulcherrima. This striking plant has been dazzling Christmas and New Year celebrations for over a century. Its most popular name, “poinsettia,” honors U.S. ambassador…
Those just starting out with seed starting surely have a thousand questions buzzing in their heads. Even veteran gardeners don’t remember every detail by heart. That’s why we’ve put together three handy cheat‐sheet tables you can print and peek at whenever you need. So, if you need to know when to sow your seeds, how…
Unfortunately, the queen of flowers is quite susceptible to various fungal diseases, among which powdery mildew, rust, coniothyrium, and Marssonina are most common. Today, we will talk in more detail about the latter disease, also known as “black spot.” As we’ve already mentioned, this disease occurs because of the activity of a microscopic fungus, and…
Geraniums have been beloved by gardeners for centuries. They’re not as fussy to care for as many other flowering houseplants. Yet their lush, vibrant blooms can rival the splendor of even the most renowned floral beauties. Sometimes, though, houseplant enthusiasts encounter a problem: their geranium seems to stretch skyward. Stretched Geraniums with Long Flower Stems:…
Vibrantly blooming Christmas cacti (Schlumbergera), whose trailing stems are lavishly dotted with multi-hued flowers, are a sight that leaves even the staunchest skeptics in awe. Have you ever seen that cascade of blooms draping over the edges of a pot like a floral waterfall? So how exactly do you support your plant during bud set…
For your Christmas cactus, you can prepare ready-made soil from turf soil, leaf mold, humus, peat, coarse sand, and perlite in a ratio of 1:6:4:2:2:0.5. Mix the components with a trowel in a large container, pour the resulting substrate into a deep baking pan, lightly moisten it, and place it in an oven heated to…
You pulled your Alocasia out of the pot—and almost no roots. Now what? If you leave an Alocasia out of action with no roots, it can literally dry up and die. Yikes! But don’t toss it yet. I’m here as your friendly gardening buddy to walk you through why those roots vanished and exactly how…
Rubber plants come in a ton of varieties, and they’re one of the most popular houseplants in the world. They’re super easy for beginners to grow, and if you pop one indoors as part of your décor, it instantly brightens up a room. But here’s the thing: rubber plants grow like crazy, and if you…
Indoor plant pots can amaze you with their variety of sizes, shapes, textures, and colors. So, how do you pick the right—and eye-catching—container that will help your plant grow quickly and bloom abundantly? Before you accidentally buy something you don’t need, let’s first figure out the difference between a flower pot and a cachepot—because some…
For many winter plants, the shortening daylight hours and cooler temperatures act like a green light for blooming—did you know that’s exactly when our favorite houseplant, the Christmas cactus, awakens its flowers? Also known as Schlumbergera or zigocactus, this beauty throws a party of color right when the days are getting dark. Nothing lifts that…