Tall plant pots can look quite elegant indoors or out in the garden, their shapes serving as visually appealing aesthetic design elements. One of the downsides though to using such deep pots is the large volume of growing medium (potting mix) that it takes to fill them! What are the problems with filling tall potsContinue reading “The Best Ways to Fill Space in Tall Plant Pots That Are Too Deep”
Category Archives: Indoor Plants
Which Indoor Plants Are Sensitive to Fluoride in Tap Water?
Some houseplants are sensitive to the fluoride that is added to municipal tap water for the purpose of preventing tooth decay in humans. The symptom of fluoride toxicity in plants is leaf necrosis (yellowing, then browning, leading to dead, scorched areas on the leaf), which appears mainly at the tips of the leaves and alongContinue reading “Which Indoor Plants Are Sensitive to Fluoride in Tap Water?”
Why Indoor Plant Leaves Turn Yellow and Drop
When houseplant (indoor plant) leaves turn yellow, it’s usually one of the first symptoms indicating that the plant is stressed. If the conditions causing the plant stress are not alleviated, the yellow leaves may eventually turn brown and drop. Plant stress can be caused by a wide variety of issues, and can be categorised asContinue reading “Why Indoor Plant Leaves Turn Yellow and Drop”
How Much Potting Mix Does a Garden Pot Hold?
Plastic garden pots come in a range of standard sizes. When filling a large pot, or a number of smaller pots, gardeners often have to estimate how much potting mix they will require. Bags of potting mix specify how many litres they hold, usually 25-30L for a standard bag, and 40L in the extra-large ones.Continue reading “How Much Potting Mix Does a Garden Pot Hold?”
How to Control Fungus Gnats in Indoor Plants
The annoying little flies often seen flying around indoor plants are fungus gnats. The adult flies are just a nuisance, but their larvae, which mainly eat fungi growing in decomposing organic matter (such as over-watered plant potting mix!) will also eat the roots of houseplants, and can transmit root diseases. Fungus gnats are only aContinue reading “How to Control Fungus Gnats in Indoor Plants”
Can You Use Shells for Drainage in Houseplant Pots?
Sea shells should not be used in plant pots because they are made of calcium carbonate (chemical formula CaCO₃), which is exactly the same substance as limestone and garden lime. They will make the potting medium extremely alkaline. Some plants don’t grow well in alkaline soils! Any material that is added to improve drainage shouldContinue reading “Can You Use Shells for Drainage in Houseplant Pots?”
How to Improve Drainage in Plant Pots, The Proper Way to Do It!
When growing plants in pots, it’s sometimes necessary to increase drainage because some plants are sensitive to excessive moisture around their root zone, and stagnant water at the bottom of the pot can lead to root rot. The old garden myth of putting a layer of rocks in the bottom of a pot to increaseContinue reading “How to Improve Drainage in Plant Pots, The Proper Way to Do It!”
Why Is My Aloe Vera Plant Turning Yellow and Brown?
Aloe vera is a hardy, succulent, semi-tropical plant native to North Africa and the SW Arabian Peninsula, which can tolerate quite harsh conditions. It will grow in poor soils in hot, dry sunny locations with very little water, but can also tolerate dappled sun or part shade, which allows it to be grown successfully asContinue reading “Why Is My Aloe Vera Plant Turning Yellow and Brown?”
Should You Tease Out Plant Roots When Transplanting? Garden Mythbusting!
Any gardener who has ever transplanted or repotted plants has seen first-hand how plants that have been grown in pots can sometimes get rootbound, with their roots spiralling or circling around the rootball. This is quite an unnatural way for plant roots to grow, as they normally grow outwards and downwards! Spiralling roots cannot beContinue reading “Should You Tease Out Plant Roots When Transplanting? Garden Mythbusting!”
Should You Put Gravel or Rocks at the Bottom of Plant Pots for Drainage?
There’s an old gardening myth that it’s best to put a layer of gravel or rocks at the bottom of a plant pot to improve drainage, but how true is it? Can the practice actually harm plants more than help them? The main reason for wanting to improve drainage in pots is because most plantsContinue reading “Should You Put Gravel or Rocks at the Bottom of Plant Pots for Drainage?”
Identifying and Growing Edible Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a hardy succulent semi-tropical plant which is native to North Africa and the SW Arabian Peninsula, but at the present time can almost be found worldwide. It’s a very tough plant which will grow in poor soil and hot, dry sunny locations, but can also be grown as an indoor plant nearContinue reading “Identifying and Growing Edible Aloe Vera”
15 Kitchen Herbs You Can Grow Indoors and How to Use Them
Herbs are easy to grow and have many great health benefits, we can use them in the kitchen, for making refreshing teas, or as natural remedies to make us feel better. Herbs can be grown in all spaces, from the smallest balcony to the biggest garden. There are herbs suitable for growing in dry areas,Continue reading “15 Kitchen Herbs You Can Grow Indoors and How to Use Them”