To plant an avocado seed pit, rinse off every bit of fruit flesh so mold has nothing to feed on. Find the flat bottom (that’s the root end) and the slightly pointy top (the shoot end). Then sprout it one of three ways: suspend it over water with toothpicks, wrap it in a damp paper […]
Continue Reading
A tree with red berries is most often American Holly, Winterberry, Hawthorn, Crabapple, Mountain Ash (also called Rowan), or Dogwood. Berry color alone never tells you if a plant is safe or dangerous. Some of these berries are edible. Others are toxic to people or pets. You need to know the exact species before you […]
Continue Reading
Most potatoes take between 60 and 135 days to grow, from planting to harvest. Early varieties are ready in 60 to 80 days. Mid-season types need 80 to 100 days. Late-season potatoes take the longest, often 100 to 135 days, according to University of Minnesota Extension. That range is just a starting point, though. Your […]
Continue Reading
The earliest signs of mealybugs are tiny, white, cotton-like specks tucked into leaf joints, along stems, or where a leaf meets the main stalk. They look like small tufts of lint stuck to your plant, and they will not wipe away like dust does. Catching mealybugs at this stage matters more than you might think. […]
Continue Reading
No, you cannot grow a banana tree from a banana fruit you bought at the store. The fruit itself has no seed and no growth tissue that can root. If you want a real banana plant, you need to start from a different part of the plant, not the fruit you eat. Chances are you […]
Continue Reading
Watermelon comes in more varieties than most people expect. US growers plant over 50 commercial varieties each year, and they sort into four main groups: Allsweet, Ice-Box, Seedless, and Yellow Flesh. Each group has its own size range, seed type, and flavor style. If you start looking into the different types of watermelon names, you […]
Continue Reading
To prune petunias properly, use sharp, clean shears to snip stems just above a leaf node (the small bump where a leaf meets the stem). Cut back about a third to half of each stem. This tells the plant to stop wasting energy on old growth and push out fresh blooms instead. If your petunias […]
Continue Reading
Yes. Snake plants are toxic to both cats and dogs. They contain natural compounds called saponins, which can cause vomiting, drooling, and diarrhea if your pet chews or swallows the leaves. If your cat just ate part of a snake plant, remove the plant from reach right away and call your vet or the ASPCA […]
Continue Reading
Growing roses from seed is simple in theory. Let the rose hips ripen fully on the bush, then clean the seeds out. Place them in cold, moist storage for 10 to 16 weeks, a step called stratification. Once that’s done, sow the seeds in soil and wait for them to sprout. That’s the whole process […]
Continue Reading
Yellow roses top the list of flowers that symbolize friendship, followed closely by sunflowers, zinnias, and alstroemeria. These blooms share bright, warm colors and a cheerful look that reads as platonic, not romantic. The yellow rose is the most traditional pick, though no single flower has ever been made official by law. Flowers have carried […]
Continue Reading