Plant Basics

Taking stem cuttings is an efficient and inexpensive way to propagate a new plant, and is easy enough for beginning gardeners. With just a few basic tools, you can replicate a plant that you've...

You can preserve the harvest of your garden by drying items like fruits and flowers. Fruits are an ideal food to preserve because you can choose edibles that are not always in season and dehydrate...

Pot hanging plants in the spring to accommodate their new growth, or transfer hanging plants any time of year if their root growth or soil conditions require attention. The plant will benefit from...

Growing stevia from seeds requires a bit of preparation and some attention to your newly planted seeds, but with planning and preparation, you can produce successfully germinated stevia plants...

Lycopodium is a fern found growing wild in wooded areas. Common types include the Princess Pine, which is harvested for holiday decorations because it looks like a tiny Christmas tree. Lycopodium...

The aloe polyphylla plant is also called spiral aloe because its leaves grow in a unique spiraling pattern. Mature plants have five rows of leaves spiraling from the center and flower rarely. The...

For a natural and inexpensive way to reproduce a plant, you can take cuttings from an overgrown plant. They are generally taken from the stem, making them easier to root. Leaves and roots are...

Ornamental grasses lend beauty to the garden with their foliage and seed plumes. They also are well suited for container culture. Matching the growing requirements of a grass with the...

Ideally, shrubs should be planted as soon as you receive them. If, however, you need to store your shrubs for a time before planting, you must know that each type of shrub (bare-root, balled and...

Ficus trees are popular indoor plants. They thrive in household climates, their leaves help clean the air and they are nice decorative items. But every two to three years you may find your ficus...

Italian cypress is most famous for its ability to grow up to 60 feet tall. The planting process is not particularly difficult, but the Italian cypress does require much attention after planting....

Classified as grass, bamboo sprouts easily and requires minimal care with species that thrive without soil. As a renewable resource, it is used for food, architectural material and fencing to name...

Peat moss is a generic term referring to several species of sphagnum moss. Peat moss thrives in moist, shady, low PH environments, such as in bogs and swamps throughout temperate climates....

Salvia Divinorum is an ornamental plant of the mint genus. This plant can grow up to eight feet in height when properly propagated and cared for on a regular basis. Salvia Divinorum is typically...

Harvesting seeds from your plants is quite easy and will save you money by allowing your plants to continue to produce its own offspring. There are many different types of plants out there that...

Plants need room to grow. A plant that outgrows its container becomes root bound and starts to weaken. The roots form a ball and can not absorb the nutrients and water needed for proper growth and...

The term bamboo refers to a wide spectrum of ornamental grasses. Ranging from tall and invasive to short and compact, bamboo makes a beautiful addition to landscaping. Well suited to plantings in...

So you have brought your cutting/s home or taken cutting/s from a plant you want to keep over the winter, now what do you do?

Bird of paradise plants thrive in warmer temperatures (above 50 degrees F). If temperatures in your area reach below this, your bird of paradise plant needs to be planted inside. They also need at...

Yuccas are a desert plant native to the Southwest United States, Mexico and parts of Central America. All of the hundreds of yucca cultivars have sword- or lance-shaped, medium green leaves...

A butterfly plant, or Buddleia, is a beautiful bush that acts like a perennial in many locations of the country. This import from China has striking long spikes of flowers in an array of colors...

Most people probably know scheffleras by their nickname, "Umbrella Tree" or "Dwarf Umbrella Tree." The largest schefflera is the schefflera actionophylla and the smaller version is the schefflera...

Nothing speaks the tropics like the exotic foliage of bromeliad plants. Bromeliads and pineapples both belong to the same family of Bromeliaceae. The foliage on bromeliads ranges from gray,...

Bottlebrushes are popular trees in the landscape. Their flowers look like a long red bottle brush and that's how they received their name. Propagating cuttings from a bottlebrush plant isn't that...

Whether you are potting (transplanting) a house plant or an outdoor plant to be placed in your garden, deck or patio, the procedure is the same. You may want to pot a plant you just purchased into...

The Brugmansia plant is commonly known as Angel's Trumpet for its beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers that can be as much as a foot long. This plant is native to South and Central America and grows...

My how-to article is about saving water for those that have home or office fishtanks and plants..... I always use my soiled fishtank water to water my plants inside and outside...Wonderful...

Amaryllis are an old favorite in gardens. Producing striking trumpet-shaped blooms on 2 to 3 foot tall, leafless stems, they always get attention whether used as an accent plant or in mass...

Planting green rose bushes outdoors is the best way to grow green roses. The unusual color makes them a wonderful addition to any garden. There are several varieties of green roses bushes to...

Small container gardening is easy, does not require soil or bark dust and can contain different plants in the same pot for different blooming times. Although small container gardening is easy,...

Bamboo plants, also referred to as Lucky Bamboo, can grow in a number of different environments. This hydroponic plant needs water to flourish, but it doesn't require large amounts of direct...

Water bamboo, sometimes called lucky bamboo, is one of the easiest of all house plants to grow. It doesn't require a lot of light and, since it grows in plain water, you don't have to worry about...

Bamboo is an invasive plant and propagates easily. It is a fast grower. It can be found in some local nurseries or ordered online. Many people think bamboo is a tree, but it is actually a grass.

As house plants grow, they become too big for their containers. But how do you go about replanting?

Growing a Southern Hibiscus here in the upper Midwest isn't as hard as it would seem. I've had mine for over fifteen years.

Lucky bamboo is pretty much the easiest houseplant to grow—just sink the stems into a small vase and fill with water! Lucky bamboo may look like bamboo, but it is actually a Dracena sanderiana,...

Container plants require different care than plants that grow outdoors in the earth or plants that are grown hydroponically. Plants are typically grown in containers so their beauty can be...

Ever had a problem with gardening and cut off a part of your plant on acciedent or just want to make more of one plant.. Here is a simple and easy way to do it.

Propagating new plants from old favorites can be done safely and easily if you use powdered rooting hormones. This is sold wherever garden supplies are sold and comes in a small bottle that is...

How long you can leave your plants without water depends on the weather and the thirst of your plants. I you'll be away for more than a week, DOUBLE POTTING guarantees that your plants will have...

Container gardens can benefit from the controlled environment you create for them only if you give them the nutrients they need. Fertilizer is important for all plants, but it is especially...

Succulent plants, such as hen and chickens and aloe vera, contain water in their leaves. Well-adapted to desert conditions, succulents grow easily from cuttings. You can plant several types...