Houseplant 411

Many houseplants such as Calathea, Ferns, Caladium, African Violets, and Prayer Plants prefer high humidity. The 40 to 50 percent humidity level some houseplants like is rarely found in our homes and offices. During winter months, the humidity may be as low as 10-20%. Misting houseplants is not the solution to this problem. Misting does … Read more

How to grow and care for a Kangaroo Paw fern, Microsorum diversifolium. Learn lighting needs and how to water, fertilizer, propagate, and prune. See a picture, read answers to plant care questions.

Just returned from the beautiful Channel Islands that are located in the English Channel between the south coast of the United Kingdom and northern France. There are eight permanently inhabited islands but I only visited Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, and Herm. The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Commonwealth to be occupied by … Read more

How to grow and care for an Angel Wing Begonia, a flowering plant with large “wing” shaped leaves. Learn light, water, food requirements, and how to propagate and prune. See a picture and read answers to Angel Wing Begonia questions.

I’ve been in the plant business for over 35 years. For most of that time, I owned one of the largest interior plantscape companies in Arizona. I, along with my 20 or so employees, installed and maintained the plants at over 600 homes, offices, and businesses. Now I’ve sold that company and spend most of … Read more

I know I promised more pictures from the Galapagos “next day” but getting caught up after being away for almost three weeks is hard! There were so many Ask Judy questions to answer, I’ve been working on them all day every day. But things are looking up and the back log of questions is dwindling. … Read more

There are many reasons why plants get yellow leaves: too much water/too little water, too much light/too little light, too much fertilizer/too little fertilizer, the temperature is too cold/the temperature is too hot. If a ficus tree or a schefflera doesn’t get enough water, it develops bright yellow leaves. If a peace lily or pothos … Read more

Mealy Bugs are one of the most annoying and destructive pests that attack houseplants. These tiny sucking insects look like small pieces of cotton. The bugs suck the sap out of a plant; they especially love the tender new growth. As the plant loses sap, leaves get spots, some turn yellow, leaves drop, stems get weak, … Read more

Cut flowers are beautiful, but wouldn’t it be nice to have an easy care flowering house plant that will bloom year after year? Here are a few of my favorites with links to learn all about caring for them. Lipstick Plant   Goldfish Plant:     African Violet   Angel Wing Begonia   Kalanchoe

The weather is getting warmer and Aphids, Slugs, Beetles, Stinkbugs, Mosquitoes, Spider Mites and lots of other pests are coming to visit our plants. If you want to avoid toxic chemicals, try a few of these “green”methods to get rid of them. Use plants in your garden or indoors that naturally repel insects. 1. Chives … Read more