The cutting has been sitting in its pot by the window for weeks, still green and upright, but a gentle tug tells you nothing is holding it in place. A Peruvian apple cactus not rooting is one of the most common frustrations with this fast-growing columnar cactus, and the cause is usually simple to correct. … Read more >>
A plant on the windowsill or a small pot on your desk can feel like more than decoration, and many traditions agree. The short version: The houseplants that bring good luck in Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra include lucky bamboo, money tree, jade plant, pothos, snake plant, peace lily and holy basil. They are thought … Read more >>
You notice small white tufts tucked between the spines of your cactus on the windowsill, and they look a little too much like cotton to be part of the plant. Cacti are tough, but those fuzzy spots are often a sign of one of the most common indoor pests. If you are asking whether a … Read more >>
You water a pothos on the windowsill and a line of small brown ants scrambles out of the soil and up the side of the pot. If you are searching for how to get rid of ants in a houseplant, the fix is usually simple once you know why they moved in. The short version: … Read more >>
Your prayer plant’s leaves, usually flat and painted with red veins, are rolling inward along the edges or curling into tubes. If you’re wondering why your prayer plant leaves are curling, the answer usually comes down to water, air, or light, and most cases can be fixed. The short version: Prayer plants curl their leaves … Read more >>
You water your plant, glance at the pot, and spot a fuzzy white film on the soil, a dusty coating on the leaves, or a small yellow mushroom where none should be. Learning how to treat house plant fungus starts with naming what you see, because each type has a different cause and a different … Read more >>
A tall kentia palm arching over a reading chair, with its dark green fronds catching the light from a nearby window, is one of the most elegant sights in any living room. The short version: Kentia palm is one of the easiest large palms to grow indoors. Give it bright, indirect light (it tolerates lower … Read more >>
Your calla lily sits on the windowsill with yellowing leaves, drooping stems, and maybe a soft, browning base where green growth used to be. If you are asking why is my calla lily dying, the answer often depends on timing, soil moisture, and where the pot sits in your home. The short version: Most indoor … Read more >>
You water your English ivy, it sits in a decent window, and yet the leaf tips and edges are turning brown and papery, or whole leaves are going dark and limp. If you are wondering why are my English ivy leaves turning brown, the answer is usually somewhere in the plant’s immediate surroundings: the air, … Read more >>
Your cat is perched on the windowsill again, a chewed leaf tip hanging from the pothos and a small pile of green on the floor below. This is one of the most common problems in plant-filled homes, and it is very fixable once you understand what your cat is after. The short version: Learning how … Read more >>