Indoor Growing

Different kinds of containers are better or worse at retaining soil moisture. Careful choice and placement can cut back the amount of watering you need to do.

Dried gourds make perfect decorations for your fall table, or you can use them to make birdhouses or decorative dippers and bowls. Gourds have a variety of uses. Here are a few do it yourself tips...

No way to store some of your extra vegetables for winter? Then turn an old refrigerator or deep freeze into a root cellar.

Moving to a new home is stressful, not only for people, but also for plants; they spend most of their natural life sitting in one spot. Here are some tips for making the move to your new home -...

Spider mites are tiny (1/50 of an inch), rust-colored insects that have piercing/sucking mouth parts. They suck the fluids from leaves and stems, robbing plants of essential nutrients. Plants...

Starting plants from seed indoors is a great way to get a jump-start on spring. Although it takes a bit of a knack, it's not hard - especially when you know a few tricks of the trade.

You need to fertilize houseplants during their growing season, which is spring and summer.

More houseplants die from too much water than from not enough. Here's how to determine when your plants need water.

Your houseplant is growing from the top, but the bottom leaves are turning yellow and dropping off, and there are roots coming out the drainage hole. It's definitely time to transplant into a...

Propagating from stem cuttings is an economical way to add to your houseplant collection.

Your indoor plants have had a long, hard winter. Little or no humidity, soaring temperatures and cold drafts are hard on tender tropicals. Why not give them a little vacation outdoors for the...

Plants grown in hanging containers dry out much more quickly than plants grown in pots on the ground. The reason is that air circulates around the pot constantly. Self-watering pots are the only...

Are your houseplants looking less than shipshape? Don't toss them overboard. Once you zero in on the problem, chances are you can have them growing well again in no time.

Lucky Bamboo is thought to bring good fortune in Chinese culture, and in recent years has gained tremendous popularity in the West. The hardiness of bamboo plant is symbolic of good health....

Choosing a pot for your houseplant can sometimes be overwhelming. There are many different sizes, colors, designs and they are made out of different materials. You should choose a pot that...

Bamboo plants are relatively low-maintenance, needing little personal care. After purchasing a healthy plant, follow the steps below to maintain it.

Houseplants bring the beauty of the outside inside. The challenge of this is not only do houseplants require conditions similar to the outside, many require conditions similar to a tropical...

The Jade plant, or Crassula argentea, is one of the most commonly grown houseplants. It's popularity comes from it's classic beauty and it's low-maintenance requirement. Care of the Jade plant is...

You don't need special or expensive equipment to create a greenhouse. You can erect this simple setup in a small home or apartment.

When you give seeds the right conditions, they'll come up quicker and grow into hardier plants. Follow these suggestions to get started.

When choosing houseplants, look for plants that you enjoy growing and can properly care for in your home. Follow these steps when you're ready to shop.

Propagation of African Violets is a slow process, but it will produce more plants that you can use as gifts or to beautify your surroundings. Here's how it's done.

Peperomias rank among the easiest plants to propagate with tip cuttings or leaf cuttings. Using tip cuttings will produce new plants more quickly.

Ficus plants are difficult to propagate because of their woody stems. Attempting to root cuttings from the plant can result in failure. However, a method called air layering has been developed...

For most of us, the bathroom is the first room seen in the morning. Think about how much nicer your day would be if you could walk into a tranquil and spirit-boosting, plant oasis. Many plants...

Whether buying a new plant or taking assessment of an old one, it's important to know healthy plant indicators. Chances of reviving one which looks unhealthy in the store are slim--only buy a...

Caladium plants, sometimes referred to as elephant ears, are known for their large, colorful leaves, which come in many different combinations of white, reds and greens. The plant is often grown...

A cereus, a tall upright cactus, is in some ways the perfect plant to grow inside a typical house. It does not require much humidity, it can survive brief periods of drought if you forget to water...

The Christmas cactus is a popular holiday plant because its winter blooms often align with the Christmas holiday. Although the plants are often purchased before Christmas for their blooms, it can...

Pothos plants are one of the easiest to grow indoors. The plant is a natural climber; it sprouts up tree bark in tropical rainforests. Although the plant survives in most conditions, you must...

The peace lily is grown for its bold, shiny green foliage in stemless crowns. Although the leaves are the main attraction, they are complemented by white flower stalks. Unlike many houseplants,...

The trunk of the yucca plant sports branches with palm-like leaves at the end. This houseplant typically grows slowly indoors and requires good care to produce new growth.

Native to the desert, agaves are succulents which are successfully grown as houseplants if they receive proper care. The plants produce rings of long, thin leaves, often with strong spikes around...

The genus ananas includes the species used for those pineapples you buy in the store. You won't get any sweet juicy fruit from your houseplant, but you will get long strands of spiked green...

The Aphelandra, commonly called the Zebra plant, takes its name from its zebra-like white stripes sharply contrasting its dark green leaves. The Zebra also produces bright yellow flowers. While it...

The calathea is a beautiful houseplant with large variegated leaves in colors of green, white, yellow and purple(depending on the species), growing on short stems. It's not an easy plant to grow,...

The Wandering Jew plant has leaves with white, silver and purple stripes supported by trailing stems. The stems grow to a foot long or more. Wandering Jew plants will often produce small...

Nothing makes a room look tropical quite like a palm plant. Palm plants are slow growing, but fairly easy to care for once you know how. They can be grown as small tabletop or desk plants, or as...

Crotons are compact, bushy, tree-like plants grown for their large multi-colored leaves. The green, yellow and red leaves growing on a tree will impart fall foliage look to your house all year...

The coffee plant, cultivated on farms for its beans, is also commonly grown as a houseplant for its dark green, glossy foliage. Although it is not practical to grow indoors solely for coffee, the...

Coleus, the popular outdoor plant, makes a good indoor plant as well. Its variegated leaves come in almost every color imaginable, and its rapid growth means a tiny specimen will become a large,...

The cyclamen is a temporary houseplant grown for its large white, red or purple flowers. It is considered a temporary plant because it's usually thrown away when it finishes flowering. Although it...

Dieffenbachias, otherwise known as dumb cane because your throat will swell and you will lose your speech if you eat their foliage, make dramatic houseplants. Their stems of green, white and...

Dracaena is a genus of plants which is easy to grow if you provide proper care. They grow big, and this makes them ideal floor plants to place in front of large windows. Follow these steps to...

Ferns are a diverse collection of plants reproducing through spores instead of seeds. Although there are over 20,000 species of ferns, many of which are grown as houseplants, their care is...

English ivy, often seen climbing bricks in outdoor landscapes, is a popular houseplant. Its small green leaves on vines have an elegant classic look, and a variety of forms are now also available....

Hoyas are versatile trailing plants which are placed in hanging baskets, or grown in pots that allow their foliage to trail over the side. They frequently produce clusters of small white or pink...

Kalanchoes are succulents grown primarily for their clusters of small flowers, available in many colors. The flowers bloom in the winter, and the plants can usually be found in stores around the...

The prayer plant gets its name because it folds its leaves up at night like hands coming together. The plant stays compact and has small green leaves with bright yellow and red veins. This...

Swedish ivy is not actually Swedish, nor is it ivy. It is native to Australia, but gained popularity as a houseplant in Sweden. It takes its name because, like ivy, its stems cascade down the side...