Category: Plant Care

Lavender needs full sun, gritty soil that drains fast, and a soil pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Water deeply but rarely once it is established. One tablespoon of slow-release food per plant covers a whole season, so skip extra fertilizer. Plant after the last spring frost. Prune yearly into green growth, never into bare wood. […]

New potatoes are ready about 6 to 8 weeks after planting, often once the plants flower. Storage potatoes are ready about 2 weeks after the vines die back completely. I know the pull to dig early. Every year I poke around a hill just to peek, and every year I find tiny tubers that needed […]

Give your prayer plant bright, indirect light and evenly moist soil. Water less in winter. Keep the air humid, and keep the plant away from cold drafts. Skip direct sun, which bleaches the leaves. Get those four habits right and most common problems, like crispy edges, get easier to fix. Most prayer plants arrive the […]

The best time to trim crepe myrtle trees is in late winter, during the dormant season. This usually falls between January and March, before new buds break open. Pruning in this window keeps your tree healthy and sets it up for strong summer blooms. Timing matters because crepe myrtles flower on new growth. Cut too […]

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 […]

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 […]

Shrimp plant care is simple once you know the basics. This plant needs well-drained soil, full sun to part shade, and regular watering to stay healthy. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA Hardiness Zones 8b to 11, according to the University of Florida’s IFAS Extension. Outside those zones, most gardeners grow it in a pot. […]

Harvest sage in the morning, once the dew has dried. Pick leaves before the plant flowers for the best flavor. Use clean, sharp scissors or pruners, and cut just above a leaf node, the spot where two leaves meet the stem. Never take more than a third of the plant at once. Cutting into a […]

The most reliable way to dry chili peppers is in a food dehydrator set to 140°F (60°C) for 12 to 24 hours, until the peppers are crisp and brittle all the way through. This baseline comes from Colorado State University Extension. A low oven, an air fryer with a dehydrate mode, or outdoor sun-drying can […]

The purple passion plant (Gynura aurantiaca) is a fuzzy, purple-leafed member of the Asteraceae family, grown mostly as a houseplant across the US. Here is what it needs to thrive: Keep reading for the full care breakdown, common problems, and answers to real reader questions. The “Passion Flower” Mix-Up and Identification A lot of gardeners […]