You glance at the dieffenbachia by your window and notice that some of its broad leaves look paler than they did last month, with chalky or washed-out patches spreading across the green. If you are seeing dieffenbachia leaves turning white, the cause is usually something in the plant’s indoor environment that you can identify and … Read more >>
You are standing in front of a pothos on a bookshelf, its soil pulled away from the pot edge and a pale crust forming on top, wondering if the bag of mix under the sink is the right one. Choosing potting soil for houseplants feels confusing because every bag promises the same thing. The short … Read more >>
You are looking at a pothos trailing off a bookshelf, a snake plant by the radiator, and maybe a few more pots crowding the windowsill, and you wonder if they are freshening the air you breathe. Knowing how much oxygen does a house plant produce helps you set realistic expectations for that green corner. The … Read more >>
Your dracaena marginata is standing in its pot with yellow, drooping leaves, a few brown spears scattered on the floor, and you are trying to figure out how to save a dying dracaena marginata before it is too late. The short version: Most struggling marginatas can be saved if at least part of a cane … Read more >>
A tall dragon tree stands near your living room window, its spiky leaves edged in red and its thin canes leaning slightly toward the glass. Good dracaena marginata care starts with reading what that plant is already telling you about its spot. The short version: Give your dracaena marginata bright indirect light, water when the … Read more >>
You have a bag of lumpy brown elephant ear bulbs on your kitchen counter, a stack of empty pots by the window, and snow still melting on the sill. Learning how to plant elephant ear bulbs indoors lets you get a head start on those huge leaves weeks before the weather warms up. The short … Read more >>
You are standing in a garden center aisle with two tall, feathery palms side by side, each about the same height, and both look like they would soften that empty corner by your sofa. Deciding between a kentia palm vs majesty palm comes down to one question: how much light and attention can your home … Read more >>
Your morning coffee filter sits on the counter, still damp, a few feet from a pothos trailing off the bookshelf and a peace lily near the east window. You may have heard there are houseplants that like coffee grounds, and you’re wondering whether that filter belongs in a pot instead of the trash. The short … Read more >>
You notice a dark patch on a leaf near the window, then another, and soon the plant you water every week looks scorched or soggy at the edges. House plant leaves turning black is alarming, but it usually points to one clear cause you can confirm in a few minutes. The short version: Black leaves … Read more >>
Your fiddle leaf fig stands in the corner of the living room, leaning slightly toward a window that seems too far away, with a few new leaves that look smaller than the old ones. If that window faces north or winter has cut your daylight short, a grow light for a fiddle leaf fig can … Read more >>