I’ve been asked many times about my favorite houseplants and where my love of houseplants began. It all began in my childhood while growing up in a rural area. My three brothers and I were immersed in nature. So, nature was our playground and trees were our jungle gym. I also worked in the vegetable garden with my mom and dad, which was huge because the garden was feeding six people. The combination of a rural upbringing and a large family garden fostered my love for plants. Later, this manifested itself in my obsession with houseplants. Today, I care for hundreds of houseplants in my home, but there are a few that are extra special to me. My favorite houseplants have brought me joy, and they have helped me learn many lessons along the way. In fact, my favorite houseplants have helped me become The Houseplant Guru. My Favorite Houseplants: Ponytail Palm My mom had a few plants in our house while I was growing up. But the first plant I can remember owning is my … [Read more...] about Lessons Learned from My Favorite Houseplants
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7 Expert Tips on How to Care for Poinsettias
Poinsettias are the most popular potted plant during the holiday season. For millions of us, it's not the holidays without a few brightly colored poinsettia plants in our homes. That's why we all need some tips on how to care for poinsettias. Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are excellent plants for natural decoration, and they will easily look great throughout the holiday season with minimal care. Fortunately, they thrive in warm indoor growing conditions. To keep your poinsettia plants alive and well during the holiday season and beyond, just follow the expert tips on how to care for poinsettias listed below. If you follow these easy steps, your poinsettias will look healthy and happy throughout the holidays. Tips on How to Care for Poinsettias During the Holidays 1. Start out with healthy plants. When selecting poinsettias for your home or office, choose the plants that have lots of leaves. Avoid the plants that have dried out so much that the leaves are drooping—or … [Read more...] about 7 Expert Tips on How to Care for Poinsettias
7 Essential Houseplant Care Tips
Taking care of another living thing can be a daunting task—and that includes houseplant care. Of course, houseplant care isn’t nearly as complicated as caring for a baby, a puppy or a kitten. But, especially for beginners, caring for houseplants can sometimes be challenging. Fortunately, the 7 essential houseplant care tips presented here are easy to follow. And these tips will help you to understand the basics of keeping houseplants alive and well. There are three basic needs of any plant: light, water and environment (temperature and humidity). The houseplant care tips below will help you understand how to provide the right conditions for the beautiful plants you bring into your home. Houseplant Care Tips: #1 Check the Light Most commonly grown garden plants like to grow in full sun. But most houseplants tend to thrive in partial sun, bright light or low light. So, the first thing you need to know is how much light you have to offer a plant. Determine which direction your … [Read more...] about 7 Essential Houseplant Care Tips
Easy-to-Grow Houseplants for Beginners
Easy-to grow-houseplants are more popular than ever. Even people who have never grown plants are adding houseplants to their indoor spaces. These new houseplant growers would never call themselves “gardeners,” yet they are going crazy over indoor plants. Why are easy-to-grow houseplants trending? Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, whose website at TheHouseplantGuru.com is a great source of information and inspiration about indoor plants, says houseplants nourish the body and the soul. “So many studies have been done that show the benefits houseplants have in the home and the workplace,” said Steinkopf. “Plants clean the air, they make people feel happier and actually lower their blood pressure. In office environments, plants also reduce the occurrence of sick days. What more could we ask for?” Expert Advice on Easy-to-Grow Houseplants Lisa Eldred Steinkopf (Twitter handle: @TheHouseplantGuru) says that anyone can successfully grow houseplants. “Growing a plant successfully is … [Read more...] about Easy-to-Grow Houseplants for Beginners
Kill Fungus Gnats Naturally with BTI
Looking for a way to kill fungus gnats naturally? Sooner or later you will have to deal with fungus gnats infesting your houseplants. Fungus gnats are the tiny flying pests that can swarm like an annoying black cloud whenever an infested houseplant or outdoor potted plant is moved. Fungus gnats (Bradysia species) are small, mosquito-like insects that commonly infest the soil or growing medium of potted plants. When outdoor plants are brought indoors for the colder months, fungus gnats in the potting mix are brought indoors. That's when they can quickly infest the soil of other houseplants. Fungus gnats thrive in moist potting soil, where they lay their eggs. After the eggs hatch, fungus gnat larvae live in the top two to three inches of the potting soil. Fungus gnat larvae can cause plant damage by eating plant roots. After about two or three weeks, the fungus gnat larvae pupate in the potting soil. Then they become the tiny black adult gnats that fly erratically when a potted … [Read more...] about Kill Fungus Gnats Naturally with BTI
