As with broccoli, cabbage, and other brassicas, turnips are a quick and easy root vegetable to grow. People often think of turnips as bland and boring, but this old crop is becoming popular again, especially in home gardens.
You can pick from a lot of different kinds of turnips that are different colored and sized. There are white, yellow, green, and purple turnips. Some grow to be the size of a golf ball, while others are best picked when they are about the size of a tennis ball.
Around Australia, turnips can be grown in any weather. If you live somewhere cold, plant them between August and March. If you live somewhere warmer, plant them in late summer, fall, or even early spring to avoid the hottest parts of summer. Depending on the type, you can harvest turnips anywhere from 5 to 12 weeks after growing them. You can eat both the root and the leaves.
You can cook young turnip leaves like you would baby spinach. For longer cooking, chop up older leaves and add them to soups or stews. You can steam, roast, or eat turnip roots raw, or you can add them to soups and stews.
What’S The Difference Between A Turnip And A Rutabaga?
To tell them apart from rutabaga, turnips are often called “summer turnips.” When you cut them open, the inside is generally white. The inside of rutabagas, on the other hand, is more yellow, and they tend to be bigger. They’re also known as winter turnips sometimes. Like cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and other Brassica vegetables, they both taste sort of the same.
Turnip Varieties
When choosing which types of turnips to grow in your yard, you should think about which ones will do best in your area and whether you want turnip greens or roots. You might not get the roots you want if you grow a type of plant that was designed to give you lots of greens.
Alamo
Alamo is a type that is grown for its leaves. Baby leaves will grow back and be used for more than one crop. Alamo can handle aphids and mosaic virus, and it’s not too resistant to bolts. In as little as 33 days, you can pick the leaves.
Amelie
Amelie is a mutant turnip that doesn’t bolt. Its roots are sweet and crisp white and grow to be 2 to 3 inches across. You can also pick the tops. You can plant Amelie to gather in the spring or fall. In 50 to 80 days, it’s ready to eat.
Hakurei
Hakurei is a mutant turnip that grows in 38 days and has white roots. You can eat the seeds and the tops raw.
You can gather Just Right, a hybrid all-white, half-globe-shaped large turnip, in the fall or winter. It tends to bolt, so you shouldn’t plant it in the spring. In 70 days, it will be ready.
Nagasaki Akari Kabu
Nagasaki Akari Kabu is a purple turnip that comes from Japan. People eat the roots either fresh or cooked. In 50 days, this type will be ready to pick.
You can find the classic American turnip Purple Top White Globe in large numbers in the southern United States. The roots are purple on top and white below the ground. Pick them when they are 3 to 4 inches across. You can cook with the leaves too. In 50 days, it will be ready.
There are sweet and mild roots on the Royal Crown hybrid turnip that stay good up to 4 inches in size. You can grow it in the spring or fall and eat the leaves or the seeds. In 50 days, it will be ready.
Scarlet Queen
The scarlet queen is a type of red turnip that is used in salads. When the taproots are 2 to 3 inches across, they are ready to be picked. In 43 days, it will be ready.
White Lady
White Lady is a mutant turnip that grows in 35 days and is good for spring or fall crops. The white roots are sweet and crisp.
When To Plant Turnips
Plant turnip seeds about two to three weeks before the last spring frost date for a late spring crop. If you want to gather turnips in the fall, plant them in late summer, after you’ve grown onions, squash, beans, or sweet corn. Plant seeds early in the fall for a later yield in the fall.
How To Plant Turnips
Add a good low-organic fertilizer (like a 5-5-5) to the dirt about 12 inches deep before you plant. If you use too much nitrogen in your fertilizer, your plants will get leafy greens instead of big roots. Do not use nutrients that are high in nitrogen.
Spread the seeds out in rows 12 to 18 inches apart, ¼ to ½ of an inch deep in the dirt.
You can also spread turnip seeds out and later thin the plants.
Not more than ½ inch of dirt should be put over the seeds.
Be sure to water regularly and well.
Cover the rows when you plant your spring veggies to keep pests away.
Growing
When the plants are 4 inches tall, space them out so that they are 4 to 6 inches apart. Crowding can make roots small or misshapen. They won’t grow if you put them closer than 4 inches.
Take care not to pull weeds from the beds, but don’t touch the roots of young turnips.
Use a lot of mulch to keep the soil wet and keep weeds from growing.
Turnips don’t need much care, but it’s important to keep the dirt moist. Water often enough to keep the dirt just barely damp; one inch of water per week should keep the roots from drying out.
How To Avoid Bolting
Our turnips are hardy biennials, but they really grow every two years. The second year, they flower on their own and go to seed. In their first year, they may bolt, which means they flower and set seeds early, if they are stressed by heat or cold or a lack of nutrients or water. Stress like this can also cause roots to grow slowly or not at all, roots to form above ground, or greens only.
Don’t let the turnips bolt if you pick them before the temperature hits the 80s (F).
Fertilizing Turnips
Before planting turnips, you can spread fertilizer over the bed, but if you are amending it with waste first, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer at that point. Once the turnip plants have their first true leaves, you can add a side-dressing of a low-nitrogen or balanced fertilizer.
Never use a high-nitrogen fertilizer on turnips that you are growing for their roots. The nitrogen shock can make the top grow quickly, but the taproot may not get enough food. Find an organic powder plant food that has an NPK balance of about 5-10-10. What does NPK stand for? It stands for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The N number should be the same as or less than the next two numbers.
You can use a nitrogen-rich liquid organic fertilizer like fish emulsion, but only a small amount, if you only want to gather the greens and not the roots. Always follow the directions that came with the product. There is no such thing as too much manure; in fact, too much can be bad.
Harvesting
When turnips are small, pick the greens. The leaves taste best when they are still young and soft. If you cut the leaves off 2 inches above the base, they might come back. As you grow them for roots, only take a few at a time.
You can harvest roots at any time, but turnips that are still small and young are best. Every so often, early types are picked after five weeks. After 6 to 10 weeks, the main types of crops will be ready.
If you want sweeter fall turnips, you might want to pick them after one or two light frosts but before a hard freeze.
You can gather later in the season and keep your plants safe from a hard freeze if you mulch them.
Turnip Pests & Diseases
Putting floating row cover over your turnips when you plant them will keep many pests away and stop the diseases that the pests spread. Pests won’t be able to land on your turnips and lay their eggs because row cover is a physical barrier that lets light and water through.
Armyworms
Armyworms are young moths that like to eat turnip greens. Take the caterpillars out of the eggs by hand before they hatch. The caterpillars can be green or black and gray. When used on moth and butterfly eggs, Bt is an organic way to get rid of them that is safe for people, pets, and other animals.
Cabbage Aphids
Cabbage aphids are insects that feed on sap and attack the leaves of turnips. They are gray and small, but if they get too many, they can slow or kill a turnip plant. Aphids can also spread diseases to turnips, like the mosaic virus. Use a row cover to keep bugs off of turnips. Aphids that are on your plants should be killed with a strong blast of water.
They won’t be able to get back on the plants after being knocked down this way. Aphids are eaten by lady beetles, green lacewings, and syrphid flies, all of which are good bugs. Do not use chemicals that will kill these good bugs that eat pests.
Cabbage Root Maggots
Cabbage root maggots are young flies. Plants that are exposed will wilt and grow slowly. Row cover needs to be put in place before the flies can lay their eggs. Turnips can also be kept safe from root maggot damage with paper bands.
Cabbage Worms
Cabbage worms are young moths that like to eat turnip greens. You can choose them by hand or use Bt to control them. If you put down row covers early on, cabbage worms will never be a problem.
Flea Beetles
Flea beetles are bugs that like to chew. They are very small jumping leaf beetles, about eight tenths of an inch long and black or bronze. They can be kept away with floating row cover. You could also grow radishes as a trap crop, since flea bugs like them better than turnips.
Slugs And Snails
Slugs and snails like turnip greens. Some slugs and snails are easy to spot, but they can be picked out by hand. A bait like Sluggo, which has iron phosphate in it, is a safe and natural way to get rid of a serious infestation.
Adult Click Beetles
Adult click beetles can live for up to six years in the ground before they come out as wireworms. Longer plants can be killed by them, but shorter plants can still be hurt. They are about half an inch to three inches long.
Put a potato slice 4 inches deep in the ground and mark it if you think wireworms are in your yard. After a week, dig the potato up and look inside to see if there are any wireworms. You can’t do anything about wireworms while turnips are growing, but you can turn the dirt several times in the weeks before planting to let birds find the wireworms.
There are many plant diseases that can hurt turnips. Some of them are mosaic virus, black rot, downy mildew, Alternaria black spot, and turnip crinkle virus.
Aside from keeping pests that spread diseases away from plants, crop rotation is the best way to keep turnips from getting sick. Brassica pathogens will build up in the soil if you put them in the same place for a few years. Instead, don’t plant cabbage family crops in the same place for four years.
Snake plants are popular houseplants because they clean the air, are hardy, and are easy to take care of. They look great as houseplants because they have long, fleshy leaves that look like grass and are very eye-catching.
But a lot of plant fans with pets wonder, “Are snake plants dangerous for cats and dogs?” The answer is yes, which is a shame. Snake plants have a poison called saponin that keeps dangerous microbes, fungi, and insects away.
So, as a pet owner, knowing that your snake plant is poisonous will help you keep your family pet safe. Find out more about snake plants and how to keep your pet safe by reading on.
Common Types Of Snake Plants
The genus Dracaena, which was first called Sansevieria, has more than 70 types of snake plants. There are many kinds, but here are some of the most famous ones:
Sansevieria hahnii
Dracaena angolensi (Sansevieria cylindrica)
Variegated Laurentii Snake Plant
Twisted Sister
Bantel’s Sensation
Dracaena pearsonii
Black Diamond Snake Plant
Dracaena patens
La Rubia Snake Plant
Futura Superba
Zeylanica Snake Plant
Robusta Snake Plant
Sansevieria Moonshine
What Makes Snake Plants Toxic?
Saponins are poisonous chemicals that are found in both Sansevieria and Dracaena species. These chemicals are naturally found in the leaves of the snake plant. They protect the plant from damage from plants that eat other plants, insects, and germs.
Why Are Snake Plants Toxic To Pets?
Snake plants are dangerous for pets and animals in general because they contain saponins. Lipids are important parts of cell walls, and these chemicals can interact with them because of the way their molecules are structured. If these things get into your pet’s digestive system, they can irritate it, cause swelling, and do other bad things.
Are Snake Plants Toxic To Cats?
To give you a short answer, yes, snake plants (Sansevieria trifasciata) are dangerous for cats. Why are snake plants bad for cats, and how can you tell if your cat is sick from snake plants? You can find the answers to these and other questions by reading on. You should not miss this important news that will help you keep your cat healthy and safe.
Why Are Snake Plants Toxic To Cats?
The snake plant is also called the Good Luck Plant, the Golden Bird’s Nest, and the Mother-in-Law’s Tongue. Saponin is a poison that is found in all parts of the plant and can make cats sick. The most common way for cats to get this poison is to chew on the leaves. Even though mild responses are more common, your cat can have a number of unpleasant side effects after eating saponin.
Most cats that are poisoned by saponins get better, but you should call your vet right away to get help and find out if your cat needs to be seen. You can also call the Pet Poison Helpline for help, especially if it’s after hours or you can’t get in touch with your doctor right away.
What Happens If My Cat Ingests A Snake Plant?
Can cats get sick from snake plants even if they only take a small bite? Yes, but they will be less sick if they don’t eat much. If your cat chooses to bite your snake plant, the plant will first release saponin, a poison, when the leaf breaks.
Your cat will taste something very bitter as soon as it puts some of this stuff in its mouth. There are some things that could happen if the cat eats any part of the leaves. Keep an eye out for:
Vomiting
Nausea
Depression
Diarrhea
Drooling
Abdominal pain or discomfort
Loss of appetite
Swollen mouth or throat
There is a greater chance that your cat will have worse symptoms if it already has a long-term illness or medical problem. The cat’s mouth will have a harsh, unpleasant taste from the poison as soon as it takes a bite, so hopefully it won’t try to eat any parts of the plant. Because of this, they probably won’t eat much of the plant and will try to spit it out.
If your cat does eat a small bit of saponin, it won’t kill it, thank goodness. If your cat gets sick, the signs should only last a day or two. No matter what, you should still call your vet and let them know what happened.
You might still want to take your cat to the vet just to be safe, in case it did eat too much of the poison or if its symptoms are making it feel bad. If you think your cat may have eaten a bigger piece of snake plant, the symptoms will probably be worse. Take your cat to the vet right away if you see things like swelling or itching.
The vet will check out your cat and decide what needs to be done. If needed, allergy medicines like antihistamines and other medicines may be given. These medicines will help your cat’s stomach and GI systems feel better.
Conclusion
You now know more about snake plants and other home plants that are poisonous to cats, why they are poisonous, and how to tell if your cat is poisoned.
We hope this information was helpful and that you feel better knowing what to do to help your cat if you think it may have eaten parts of a snake plant or another popular houseplant that is poisonous to cats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Snake Plants Toxic To Cats?
Cats can get sick from snake plants. If you think your cat may have eaten a piece of snake plant, call your vet right away. You can also call the Pet Poison Helpline if you think your pet may have eaten something that could be harmful.
Why Are Snake Plants Toxic To Cats?
Cats can’t eat snake plants because they all have a poison called saponin in them.
How Do I Know If My Cat Has Snake Plant Poisoning?
Your cat might feel sick and throw up, have stomach pain, be tired, drool a lot, have diarrhea, or swell up in the mouth, lips, or tongue. The severity of the signs can change from cat to cat.
How Do I Keep My Cat Safe From Snake Plant Poisoning?
The best thing to do is to get rid of the plant and give it to a family without pets. You can keep your cat from chewing on things they shouldn’t by giving them lots of other things to chew on, like harmless cat grass and toys.
It’s a medium-sized deciduous tree that bears small, sweet flowers in the summer. The red mulberry, Morus rubus, comes from eastern North America. The white mulberry, Morus alba, comes from China as its native home. There was a time when this tree was only found in China. Now it is grown all over the world, in places like the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Mulberry Tree: How To Grow?
If the conditions are right, mulberry trees are easy to grow. Mulberry trees are easy to grow from seeds and rooted semi-hardwood branch cuts. This is clear from how many seeds they produce on their own.
You can put seeds made from dried fruit that you pick from the tree. Because these plants grow so quickly and can get too big for most pots very quickly, they don’t usually do well in containers.
Pick a sunny spot with soil that doesn’t stay soggy to put the seed or cutting. Make a hole twice as deep and twice as big as the root ball. After that, put the seed or cutting in the hole and cover it with dirt. Water the plant a lot during its first growth season.
Mulberry bushes don’t need much care and don’t need to be pruned very often. So, trim in early winter to stop the tree from growing too much and then in late fall or winter to keep it in the shape you want. Use an appropriate fertilizer in the spring to help plants grow. Use a windbreak to keep the tree safe from strong winds. When the berries are ready, pick them.
Types Of Mulberry Trees
Five types of mulberry bushes exist, and here are the three most likely to be found in North America:
This is the most common type of mulberry tree in North America. It is also called a “white mulberry tree.” This tree comes from China and is easy to tell apart from others in the same group because its fruit looks like a blackberry and starts out white but turns purple-red as it ages. It can be bought in nurseries in a number of ornamental and sterile forms that are better for use in the landscape. ‘Kingan’ is a type of Morus alba that can survive in dry areas, and ‘Chapparal’ is a type that falls over.
The native North American red mulberry tree, Morus rubra, has rough, hairy leaves that are twice as long as those of Morus alba. The fruit is light green at first but turns red or dark purple when it’s ready. In the gardening business, it can be hard to find red mulberry trees, but you can find them growing wild in eastern Canada and the US.
Morus nigra: Black mulberry trees grow to be about 40 feet tall and have dark purple (almost black) berries that get very big when they’re ready. This Asian native is not often seen in North America.
Morus australis is a small tree that grows to be 20 to 30 feet tall. It is also known as the Korean mulberry. It has slightly glossy light green leaves and fruit that runs in color from almost white to deep red and purple. In North America, this tree is not often found in gardens.
Morus celtidifolia: Texas mulberry trees are native to the Southwest. They look more like shrubs and only get 25 feet tall at their tallest point. The fruits can be eaten and are red, purple, or almost black. They are great for attracting birds and other wildlife to your yard.
Mulberry Tree: How To Maintain?
Light
Many fruit trees produce more fruit when they get more light, but mulberry plants can do well in both full sun and partial shade.
Soil
Mulberry trees can grow in clay, loam, or sandy soil as long as the soil conditions allow for good draining. From normal to slightly acidic is the pH range that the trees can handle.
Water
After planting your mulberry tree, water it fully and often; for the first year, you should give it two to three gallons of water per week. This will help the roots grow strong. Once mulberry trees are established, they can handle short droughts. However, long dry times can lower fruit production or make unripe berries fall off early.
Fertiliser
Fertilizer should be applied to mulberry trees once a year for best results, but they usually do fine without it. To fertilize your tree once in late winter, use a balanced 10-10-10 mix, making sure to use 0.5 kg of fertilizer for every inch of the trunk’s width.
Pruning
This tree doesn’t need regular trimming, but you should cut off any damaged or crossed shoots in late fall or winter, when the tree is dormant, to keep the sap from dripping off.
Mulberry Tree: Uses
Mulberry plants can be used for many things. The tree’s leaves and sap can be used to treat inflammation and lower the risk of getting diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses.
You can make dyes, rope, and paper from the tree’s wood.
Berries have fruit that can be eaten right away or made into drinks, jams, jellies, syrups, and even wine.
In Asian countries, the leaves of the mulberry tree are often used to make tinctures and plant teas, which are popular health drinks.
The tree’s wood is strong, light, and won’t rot, so it’s great for making furniture and other things out of wood.
The tree can also shade homes and fields.
Mulberry Tree: Toxicity
No one or any animal has been poisoned by mulberry bushes, but some parts of the tree can irritate the skin. There is a chemical called glycoside in unripe mulberries that can make you sick, make you throw up, or irritate your stomach. It is also possible to get gut pain from eating a lot of mulberry leaves. The tree’s leaves and other parts have latex in them, which is a milky white sap that is slightly poisonous to humans and can make their skin itch, rash, and even boil in the worst cases.
Conclusion
Managing mulberry fruit trees’ growth well is important for their health and output as a whole. To control their growth without hurting their health, it’s important to prune them correctly, use growth inhibitors wisely, and change how much water and food they get.
FAQs
What’s The Best Soil For Growing A Mulberry Tree?
Mulberry plants do best in soil that drains well, is moist but not soaked, and has a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Putting in compost or other organic waste can be good for you.
When Is The Best Time To Plant A Mulberry Tree?
When it’s not too cold, plant mulberry trees in early spring or late fall.
How Do I Harvest The Fruit From A Mulberry Tree?
Between June and August, you can pick the berries from your mulberry tree. As a general rule, the darker the fruit, the better it tastes. You can either pick the mulberries by hand, which can be very time-consuming, or you can put a net or old sheet under the tree and shake it. Then you can pick out the fruit that hasn’t been damaged and carefully make the berries into jelly or jam. You can also freeze the berries and use them whenever you want.
How Do I Remove A Mulberry Tree?
When farmers see how messy and invasive mulberry trees can be, they often want to get rid of them. Small pieces of the root can quickly grow back even if the tree is cut off at ground level and the trunk is dug up and taken away. Cutting down the tree and digging up as many of its roots as you can is the best thing to do. Then, use a strong, non-selective pesticide (like glyphosate) on any new green growth that appears.
How Long Does A Mulberry Tree Live?
Some landscaping cultivars of white mulberry trees can live up to 100 years, but most only live 25 to 50 years. Most red mulberry trees don’t live longer than 75 years.
What Is The Difference Between Red And White Mulberry?
The leaves of a red mulberry tree are dull green and 4 to 7 inches long, while the leaves of a white mulberry tree are shiny green and 3 to 4 inches long. When white mulberry fruit is ready, it can be white, red, or even purple. When it’s ready, red mulberry fruit is a dark red color that can almost be black.
How Can I Use Mulberry Trees In The Landscape?
Mulberry trees have thick, round crowns and are about average size. They can be used as understory trees in large yards. It’s best to put the tree somewhere out of the way so that people won’t step on the fruit.
This way, the birds can get the fruit without getting dirty. You don’t want this tree to hang over your patio, road, or sidewalk. Choose a sterile cultivar that doesn’t make fertile seeds or fruit if you want to use mulberry as a small shade tree in places that get a lot of foot traffic.
There are a lot of Philodendrons in the UK. Indoor gardeners love them because they have broad leaves that look and feel warm. Even though these plants are very famous, you should be careful with them because they can hurt people and animals.
Are Philodendrons Toxic To Humans?
Calcium oxalate, a poison that philodendrons make, is harmful to people if they eat it. If you wash your hands right away after touching the leaves, it’s fine, but if you want to be extra safe, always wear gloves when you handle your Philodendron. Also, make sure your plant is out of reach of children. If a child does eat it, they should get medical help right away.
Any part of a Philodendron plant that you eat or drink may cause soreness in your mouth and make you drool and foam at the mouth. This irritation will spread to your gut system and make you feel bad. Poisoning from philodendrons can also sometimes lead to kidney stones.
Are Philodendrons Toxic To Pets?
Yes, cats, dogs, and other pets can get sick from philodendrons. There will be signs in your pet within two hours if they eat a Philodendron leaf. Some symptoms are:
Vomiting
Excess drooling
Oral irritation
Excess pawing at the mouth
Difficulty breathing
Foaming at the mouth
Loss of appetite
If any of these things happen, you should take your pet to the vet right away.
Are Outdoor Philodendrons Toxic To Wildlife?
Some small animals can get sick from Philodendron plants that are grown outside. They’ll be fine for bees and other pollinators that are only after the pollen, but they can be bad for hedgehogs, foxes, and other yard animals.
You can keep your philodendron out of reach of animals by putting it in a raised bed or a tall container. You can also put it under mesh or in a pot that hangs from the ceiling. In bigger gardens, you put a dummy or something that moves, like a wind spinner, next to it.
How Poisonous Is A Philodendron?
The philodendron is only slightly dangerous, so it won’t kill your pets. However, the effects will be stronger depending on how much of the plant the animal ate. That being said, if your pet eats any part of the plant, it can be very painful to watch them suffer and make other health problems worse.
What To Do If Your Pet Eats A Philodendron Plant?
If your cat starts to show any signs of being poisoned by a Philodendron, you should call your vet right away. It can get a lot worse for them if you wait too long because crystals will start to form in their pee. Here are some steps you should take to make things as easy as possible for your animal:
Do not try home remedies. There are many possible home remedies for Philodendron poisoning on the internet, but you should never use them because they can make the situation worse.
Get in touch with your vet right away. The longer you wait, the worse the situation may get. If your regular doctor isn’t available, call the emergency veterinary service that’s closest to you.
Take a piece of the plant. When you take your pet to the vet, you should bring a piece of the plant or leaf that it ate with you so that the vet can help figure out what’s wrong and how to treat it.
How Should I Keep My Pets Away From My Philodendron?
Cats and dogs can get sick from Philodendrons, but that doesn’t mean you should stay away from this beautiful plant. A lot of people in the UK have Philodendrons as pets without any problems. This tropical plant is beautiful, and it’s safe to enjoy. Just follow these easy steps.
If your dogs can’t get to your Philodendron, they won’t be able to discover it and eat it. Putting it in a room that your pet can’t get to is the best way to do this, but this might not always be possible. The next best thing to do is to keep your Philodendron out of reach. This works well, and you can use it in your home decor by putting trailing plants on a floating shelf, in a hanging pot, or on a table as a decoration.
To keep cats away from your philodendron, make sure there are other things around it. These close together will make the area around your plant less interesting for cats because cats don’t like them.
When cats and dogs are new to a place, they will be interested in everything. Once they get used to a new philodendron, they should stop paying attention to it. After that, falls will be the only thing to worry about. You should try to get rid of any yellowing or falling leaves before they hit the ground. If any do fall before you can pick them up, make sure your pets can only get to the plant when you’re there.
Why Do Cats Eat Houseplants?
The fact that cats have to eat meat might make you wonder why they would ever want to eat a houseplant. In general, a cat might not seem interested in veggies at all. Cats can bite, eat, and chew on houseplants most of the time, though.
Here are some reasons a cat might chew on your things:
Feeling bored: We all know that cats sometimes only want something fun to do. They might want to hurt your plants because it gives them something to do.
Not enough nutrients: Even in the wild, cats that hunt sometimes eat plants. They might need more grain, vitamins, or minerals. Because it’s in their nature, they try to make up for weak bodies.
Playfulness: Most of the time, philodendrons hang down a lot, which can make your cat want to hunt. They should go after these vines if all they want to do is chase and chomp.
Taste: It may sound crazy, but your cat might really like the way the plants taste. If that’s the case, they might bite you once in a while.
Tips To Keep Your Cats Safe From Toxic Houseplants
There are a few things you can do to keep cats and flowers from getting together.
Hang pots. Plant hangers that are attached to pots can look nice and be useful for cat owners. There are many types to choose from, and they are great for protecting your plants from sharp teeth and claws.
Put in a room with a door. If you have enough room, you can make a room just for your plants. It should get enough light for your choice to grow well. This, on the other hand, stops your cats from getting in without you knowing.
Build or buy shelves that are high enough for your cat to not be able to reach them. This will keep your plants out of reach.
Do not keep dangerous plants inside: Keeping your cat away from plants that could be dangerous is the best way to make sure it is always safe. No matter how much you love some types, you may have to make the hard decision to stay away from them.
Alternatives For Cats Who Love To Eat Plants
There is cat grass that might help your cat who loves your flowers too much. You can save your pretty plants and keep your cats safe with cat grass, which grows itself.
You can get cat grass on the web at places like Amazon and Chewy. A lot of them come in small bags or kits that you just need to fill with water and seeds. Most of the time, little sprouts will appear in three to five days. Your cat will soon have their own little patch of greens to eat.
Put cat grass in different places around the house. It can make them much less likely to look to your plants for entertainment when they’re bored.
Cats + Philodendron: Final Thoughts
You now know that philodendron plants can be slightly to fairly harmful to your cats and dogs. Always make sure that the plant is out of reach if you choose to have both. Thank goodness, plants and pets can live together safely if you take a few steps.
If your cat ate philodendron, look for signs that it is having stomach problems. Get your cat to the vet right away if you think it has had an amount that could cause severe side effects or dehydration.
Wow. We passed 300,000 subscribers, just before 2023 came to a close.
We couldn’t have asked for a better group of gardeners to share our experiments with.
A big thanks to Mart Hale for getting me to take YouTube seriously, years ago when we only had 300 subs. I appreciate it, brother!
Also, a thanks is in order to Justin Rhodes, who challenged me to post 30 videos in 30 days, back when we had a little over 5,000 subscribers. He then gave us a boost on his channel that kickstarted the channel’s ascent.
And finally, thanks to all of you for taking an interest in our backyard horticultural experiments!
God is good, and we are blessed to have you all with us.
I vividly remember the day I became a new houseplant parent.
Of course, I’d grown up with flora in the house – along with brown shag carpeting, dark wood wall paneling, and plenty of macrame. It was the late 70s and early 80s after all.
But through college and my mid-20s I was too busy traveling around and moving house to think about keeping a plant alive in the fleeting moments between adventures.
So when I finally settled down long enough to give another living being (besides myself) attention, it was a momentous occasion.
A friend of mine was splitting up overgrown specimens in their indoor jungle and before I knew it, they’d thrust a freshly potted baby spider plant into my arms.
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To discerning, rare plant collectors, that scraggly little ragamuffin wasn’t the prettiest specimen in the world. But to me this ugly duckling was the most exquisite creature I’d ever laid eyes upon.
That first houseplant was just the beginning of my love story with plants.
I’ve learned an awful lot about being a plant parent since then, and I know a thing or two about spider plants in particular. Lucky for you, I’m here to pass on my knowledge, from one spider ivy parent to another.
And in the same way my friend did, these houseplants can be divided, or split. But how will you know if you should divide your specimen? And when is the best time to do this?
This article will specifically address dividing spider ivy – why, when, and how to do it.
There are three good reasons to divide spider plants: to manage the size of an overgrown specimen, to encourage healthy growth, and to propagate new plants to share or add to your collection.
Although they prefer to be slightly pot bound, the roots can eventually become too crowded, so dividing and repotting will keep them healthy, happy, and looking their best.
If the roots and rhizomes get too cramped and crowded, the central, inner section of the root ball can become damaged. You may notice signs of stress like leaf yellowing or browning, withering, and poor health in general.
Splitting the roots and potting up the divisions rejuvenates the plant and keeps it at a manageable size, so you don’t need to keep repotting into larger containers as it grows.
If you’re a thrifty or generous houseplant parent, you know that propagating at home is the best way to fill more pots with new specimens to green up your space and to share the love with family and friends.
This is the way I became a plant enthusiast, after all. Why not pay it forward to someone else?
When to Divide
Spider plants can be divided at any time of the year. If you notice the rhizomes pushing up out of the soil, or if the roots have filled the pot, it’s time to repot into a larger container or divide the specimen.
This could be every one to five years, depending on the size of your specimen, the size of its original pot, and your plant’s conditions and growth rate.
These houseplants do best when they’re snug in their pots. But it can seem like a fine line between “snug,” or comfortably pot bound, and too darned cramped.
If your specimen looks healthy and it has some room in its current space to grow, there’s no need to disturb it – unless, of course, you decide to propagate new plants!
So if your spider ivy is busting out of its pot, or if you want to make some baby plants, read on to learn how to divide your spider plant.
How to Divide
Before you begin, gather up the items you’ll need. It’s best to plan ahead, so you’re not scrambling around looking for the right tools when you’re in the middle of performing surgery.
Photo by Tabitha Caswell.
You’ll need a sharp, clean knife for cutting through tough roots, a trowel or scoop, and a pair of garden pruners.
It’s blended with compost and specifically formulated for container growing.
It doesn’t bother me to walk around with soil under my nails, but if it bothers you, grab your gloves. If you don’t have a pair, read our guide to the best gardening gloves for recommendations.
You’ll also need extra containers for the divisions. The choice of container is up to you, but I think they look great in hanging baskets and planters. I’ve got mine in containers that are designed to mount on a wall.
They come in three different sizes, and a few tasteful, neutral color options.
They have a hidden mounting system for a clean and modern look, and they’re made from 80 percent recycled materials. Perfect if you appreciate Scandinavian decor like I do!
The new containers should be a minimum of three to four inches wide, or larger, depending on the size of the divisions – and remember that spider plants like to be a little snug in their pots, so keep this in mind when making your selections.
And whatever containers you choose, make sure they have adequate drainage holes.
Photo by Tabitha Caswell.
When you have everything you need, prepare a space where you don’t mind getting things a little messy. I like to work at my kitchen table, but a counter or the floor works too.
In the basement, or in the garage, wherever you decide to work, set yourself up for a smooth and efficient workspace.
Put down some old newspapers or find a tray to work over to make cleanup a little easier. Or, if you don’t mind a little dirt, just go for it! That’s what brooms and vacuums are for.
Now you just need to rustle up your plant and you’re ready to go. I don’t know about you, but I talk to my houseplants. I tell them how beautiful they are and how much I love them.
I also like to keep them informed. This would be a good time to explain what you’re about to do and reassure your spider plant that everything will be ok. Because it will. You got this!
Start by removing your spider plant from its pot.
Squeeze the sides of the pot to loosen it, then while supporting the plant at the base of the foliage near the roots, gently wiggle it out of the container.
Try not to damage the roots. Set the spider plant on its side so you can inspect the root ball.
Next, using your hands, shake out most of the soil from around the roots so you can see what you’re working with. Trim off any damaged or dead roots.
Depending on the size of the specimen you have, and the size of the divisions you’re aiming for, decide how you’ll split it up.
It’s important not to make your divisions too small. If the new root balls are too small, it will take longer for the spider plants to recover and put on new growth.
When you’re ready, use your hands to separate the roots into sections. If the roots are tough or dense, use your knife to cut them. Each section should have a good amount of healthy foliage and rhizomes.
When you’ve got your new divisions split and ready to pot, prepare the containers. Scoop some fresh soil into the bottoms of each pot. Set the new division in the pot, and support it while carefully adding soil around the roots and gently firming it into position.
The top of the soil should end up being about an inch from the top edge of your pot, and just covering the roots and rhizomes, leaving a bit of the crown exposed. Adjust the plant’s position if necessary and add more soil.
When you’re satisfied with your work, give your divisions some water.
This will settle the soil around the roots. If it settles quite a bit, and the roots are exposed, add some more soil and then water it a little more. Repeat the potting process with all of your divisions.
That’s it! You did it! Congratulate yourself and reassure your new divisions with a few soft words of encouragement.
Avoid fertilizing for at least a month to allow your little spider plants time to root in their new containers and recover from any stress.
Make and Share Memories
Spider plants are forgiving and easy to manage for beginners. The fact that they’re absolutely adorable makes them a favorite for experienced houseplant parents as well.
Dividing your spider plant when it has outgrown its container or when you’re in a giving mood will keep your specimen happy and healthy.
Share the love by gifting a spider plant division. You never know – you might just be creating memorable moments for someone else too.
Do you remember your first houseplant experience? Share your memories and drop your story in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
If you grow citrus, you may be familiar with citrus suckers. Suckers can wreak havoc on tree growth and production if left unchecked. Citrus sprouts can cause problems as well. Learn how to identify both citrus suckers and sprouts, why they are harmful to citrus trees, and what to do when you find them.
What are citrus suckers?
Suckers are shoots that grow from the trunk below the bud or graft union. They are often mistaken for new growth from the desired citrus variety, but suckers are a different plant altogether.
Look for the graft union on the trunk, which will appear as a visible seam or bump. If the growth is coming out below the graft union, it’s likely a sucker.
Suckers will grow straight up and typically resemble a thin, spindly stem with few leaves. The leaves often have a trifoliate leaf shape (characterized by a leaf divided into three leaflets). Shoots may also grow up through the soil around the tree; these should also be removed.
Bud or graft union:Place where the bud of the citrus variety was grafted onto the rootstock. Look for an area where the bark changes texture or the diameter of the trunk changes.
Rootstock: Another citrus variety that the citrus is grafted onto. Rootstocks are chosen to improve disease resistance, growth, or fruit quality. Standard rootstocks in Arizona are Flying Dragon, Trifoliate Orange, Sour Orange, Smooth Flat Seville, C-35, and Carrizo Citrange.1
What are citrus sprouts?
These quick-growing shoots are also called “water sprouts” or “suckers” and can be found below and above the bud union. They are green and without bark (herbaceous). Sprouts growing above the bud union are the same variety as the desired tree (not the rootstock).
Citrus sprouts grow straight up either from the trunk or large limbs. They develop excessive thorns and little, if any, fruit. Their leaf shape may also differ from the grafted variety. 2
Lemon trees especially often have vigorous, thorny sprouts that grow quite tall.
Do you have to remove citrus suckers and sprouts?
Suckers take vital resources away from the desired citrus variety and can ultimately result in stunted tree growth and reduced fruit production. Fruit formed on suckers will be the rootstock variety – usually a bitter or sour orange. If left unattended, citrus suckers will continue to sprout and can even take over the entire tree.
Sprouts left unchecked can make harvesting the desired fruit difficult. Also, If left to grow, sprouts and suckers can out-compete the grafted tree’s canopy. If sprouts form fruit, they will be unpalatable. A water sprout often cannot support the weight of fruit and may break.
You may decide to leave sprouts that emerge above the graft line in place to fill in the canopy, but typically they are removed.
How do you remove sprouts and suckers?
If you do find citrus suckers on your tree, it’s essential to remove them promptly. The best way to remove suckers is by removing them by hand when they are young. Grasp the sucker firmly, and pull down. The sucker should break off near the trunk.
If they are too large to remove by hand, cut off with clean pruners as close to the rootstock as possible.
When to remove citrus sprouts and suckers
Remove small sprouts and suckers by hand at any time throughout the year.
Remove larger sprouts and suckers during the early spring. This gives the tree time to grow new foliage to shade newly exposed wood to damage from the summer sun. Removing larger limbs from May – October may open up the trunk or inside of the tree to sun damage. Any exposed wood should be protected from sunlight with white paint.2
Citrus suckers and sprouts can be a nuisance for citrus tree growers, but with proper identification and removal, you can keep your trees healthy and productive.
I’M CELEBRATING New Year’s in the company of a rare bird and the flowers of the first of the witch hazels, neither of which is supposed to be here right now.
That’s the kind of year it has been, and I suppose will be again in 2024.
‘Jelena’ (below) is always my first witch-hazel to bloom each year, but typically it starts a month or more from now, sometime in late January or even February. Odd, but no peril to the plant.—unlike my avian visitor.
Ever feel like your life got way off course? A male Wilson’s warbler (top of page) should be on the Gulf Coast or farther south, but he is wintering here (Hudson Valley of NY) the last couple of weeks, foraging under my feeders with all the more expected species, and drinking from the opening in the ice in the adjacent water garden.
This is quite an uncommon bird here even in milder months—they pass through briefly en route from their wintering areas to their Canadian breeding grounds—but winter?
Presumably during fall migration he got blown off course, and happened upon my backyard, finding it to be hospitable enough to take up temporary residence in. Wilson’s warblers are insectivores, usually, but he is eating sunflower hearts (shelled sunflowers) from the ground at the moment; make do with what you’ve got, I guess.
Last week it was 13F degrees one night and I feared I would not see him again; that it would do him in. But there he was hopping around and chowing down all morning. Apparently he is determined to make the best of having lost his way.
He sets a good example for all of us who are feeling a little befuddled by the goings-on outside in our backyards, and across the planet.
Chitting potatoes is a simple process that involves pre-sprouting your seed potatoes before planting. Chitting your potatoes will encourage them to produce more shoots and ultimately provide a better yield.
Why Chit Potatoes?
Potatoes are typically grown from seed potatoes rather than actual seeds. Seed potatoes are small potatoes specifically grown to be planted as a crop. Chitting the potatoes before planting allows you to encourage them to produce more shoots, resulting in a more abundant harvest.
Select a cool, dry location with plenty of light. I chit my potatoes under a grow light in my seed starting station or near a sunny window.
Lay your seed potatoes out in a single layer with the eyes facing upwards. The eyes are the indentation on the potato where sprouts and roots will begin to grow.
After a few weeks, sprouts emerge from the eyes. The sprouts will start to grow long and thin; keep them well-lit, and prevent them from being damaged or broken.
Discard potatoes that are rotten or very soft.
When to plant chitted potatoes
After the sprouts are approximately 1 inch (3-4 cm) long, it is time to plant your potatoes.
If your seed potatoes are large, cut them in half after chitting. Ensure each half is at least as large as an egg and has 2-3 sprouts. After cutting the potatoes, let the skin dry and form a protective layer.
What about sweet potatoes? The Differences Between Growing Sweet Potatoes and Regular Potatoes
Sweet and regular potatoes might appear similar, but their growth habits and planting requirements differ. While potatoes grow from the sprouts on the potato, sweet potatoes are grown from slips that are removed and then planted. Slips are small plants that grow off of a mature sweet potato. Learn how to make sweet potato slips in this blog post.
Chitting potatoes is a simple yet essential step in potato planting. It allows you to encourage your seed potatoes to produce more shoots, ultimately resulting in a more abundant crop.
Research sources:
A study published in Springer found that the duration of chitting significantly decreased the days to emergence and tuberization, suggesting an earlier harvest time. Another study also found that chitting could give higher yields earlier in the season before late blight ended crop growth Springer.
Another research on Cambridge Core reported that chitting seed potatoes at Craibstone increased yields. However, it’s also worth noting that while chitting can increase yields at early harvest, yield can be reduced later Springer.
Furthermore, a study indicated that using chitting/pre-sprouting, especially using more blight-resistant main crop potato varieties, can further reduce foliar blight severity and increase yields ScienceDirect.
Research published in Journal. fi made the early growth faster and decreased the number of stems per seed, which could influence the overall yield.
Finally, a study found that efforts to increase tuber yield should focus on reducing the time to emergence, suggesting that chitting could play a role in this Luke.fi.
In summary, while the results may vary based on various factors, chitting can reduce harvest time and increase yield in certain circumstances. However, more research might be needed to fully understand the impacts and how they may vary under different conditions.
Chinese money plants are immediately recognizable by their fascinating round, flat foliage which attaches to the petioles in the middle of the leaves. Many gardeners frequently compare them to UFOs, pancakes, and coins.
They are sometimes likened to species like nasturtium (Tropaeolum spp.) and Peperomia, which have a similar leaf shape and attachment, though there are many notable differences between them.
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Their easygoing nature and unique shape would be enough to recommend Chinese money plants, but these green wonders also have a charming origin story that makes me love them even more.
They’re known for bringing people together and fostering friendships.
We’ll talk about all that and more in this guide. Here’s the rundown:
Like I said, pancake plants have a fascinating history that I find positively sweet. Let’s talk about that first.
What Are Chinese Money Plants?
Pilea peperomioides is part of the nettle family, Urticaceae, and closely related to stinging nettle Urtica dioica. But don’t worry, it’s hairless and isn’t going to give you the same itchy, burning rash that other nettles can.
Chinese money plant is indigenous to the Sichuan province and the west of Yunnan province of China.
In the wild, P. peperomioides grows above 4,500 feet in wet, rocky, forested areas. It stands out because the species has nearly round leaves with the stem (or petiole) connecting near the center, which is known as a peltate attachment.
While the origin of the name Chinese money plant isn’t clear, it’s a safe bet that it has to do with the coin-shaped leaves.
Those peltate leaves emerge slightly cupped, but they flatten out as they mature. They might also take on a cupped shape if the plants are stressed.
As the upright stem matures, it turns brown, but young stems are green.
When mature, it can reach up to 18 inches tall and wide. In the spring or summer, thriving specimens will produce pink, white, or pinky-white blossoms on long stems. This even happens on those growing indoors. P. peperomioides is self-fertile.
Sadly, in its native habitat, it’s endangered.
If you’re thinking of cultivating P. peperomioides outdoors, it can tolerate a brief freeze, though it will kill the aboveground parts. The roots will survive and send up new growth.
It can be safely grown in Zones 10 and 11, and even in Zone 9 if you commit to adding a thick layer of mulch around the plant in the winter and covering it during an extended freeze.
Cultivation and History
Until the 1980s, P. peperomioides wasn’t well known outside of its native China, except in Scandinavia, where it is decidedly not native.
The first Westerner to identify it was botanist George Forrest from Scotland on an expedition to the Yunnan province in 1904.
While he was there, he helped inoculate local people against smallpox and collected plant specimens and seeds to send back to the United Kingdom.
Then in 1945, Agnar Espergen, a Norwegian missionary, brought his own specimen home from the Yunnan province, and its popularity as a houseplant rapidly spread throughout Scandinavia.
Here’s the part of this story that I really love:
It became popular quickly because hobby growers realized just how easily P. peperomioides can be propagated from cuttings. They shared it far and wide in the region with friends and fellow plant-lovers, which is how it became known as the friendship or pass-along plant.
I love a plant that gained a following organically simply because people enjoyed sharing it with each other.
The Chinese money plant finally found its way to the rest of Europe and North America in the late 20th century.
It was identified by experts at Kew Gardens in 1978 after a hobbyist named Mrs. D. Walport sent a specimen to them looking for information.
They couldn’t identify the specimen at first, but were able to figure it out after an assistant at the gardens named Sally Jellis brought the specimen around to various experts who compared it with plants originally sent by Forrest to Edinburgh.
In 1993, the Sunday Telegraph in London asked readers for more information about the plant, and it was eventually determined by a reader that the specimen sent to Kew Gardens had arrived in the UK via Norway, where it was already widely grown. Whew!
Still, it didn’t really become hugely popular in the US and England until the early 2000s. These days, it’s no surprise to run into one at a store. It’s extremely popular.
Chinese Money Plant Propagation
Pilea species are super easy to propagate because they develop clones of themselves called pups or offsets.
In addition to separating these offsets, you can propagate via cuttings or purchase a potted specimen from the store.
From Cuttings
You can propagate both stem and leaf cuttings from your P. peperomioides. It’s best to do this in the spring or summer, but you can do it anytime.
To take a leaf cutting, look for a large, healthy leaf and cut it off at the stem with a sharp knife or razor. Be sure to remove a little bit of the heel, which is a bit of the stem at the end of the petiole.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
A stem cutting simply requires a section of stem that includes at least one node.
Stick the end of the leaf in or lay the stem section sideways on top of moistened potting medium in a pot.
Place the container in an area with bright, indirect light. Keep the medium moist and wait for roots to develop. You’ll know they have once new green growth emerges.
From Plantlets
Pilea grow pups from their roots and on the stem. Those that emerge from the roots are easiest to propagate since you can take a little root with the plantlet and pot it up.
You can do this any time of year, but spring is best.
Wait until the pups are at least a few inches tall with at least three leaves. Pups growing out of the stem should have a little stem of their own. The larger the pups the better the chance they’ll survive.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
To pot up a pup in the soil, gently tease the offset up and out of the soil as much as you can without damaging the parent. Then, dig down around the stem to locate the roots. Cut away the pup and some roots using a clean knife or pruners.
Place the pup in a small pot filled with standard potting soil. Water the soil and firm up the plant to make sure it stays put. Keep the soil moist and after a few weeks it should develop roots.
To take the plantlet off the stem, take a clean, sharp knife or razor and cut away the pup as close to the stem as possible.
Place the youngster in a glass of water and let it develop some roots. This takes a week or two. Change the water every few days to avoid mold.
Once roots have developed, pot it up in a small container filled with potting soil and water well.
You can also put the pup directly into potting soil, but I’ve had better luck with the water method.
Keep your pups in the same kind of light that you would keep the mature specimen.
Transplanting
If you bring home a purchased nursery start, at some point, you’ll want to move it from the grower’s pot and put it in a new one.
Choose a container one size up from the existing one and put a thin layer of potting soil in the bottom.
Look for a rich potting mix that is water-retentive and well-draining with a pH that is slightly acidic to neutral.
Most houseplant mixes will fit the bill, but I always recommend FoxFarm’s Ocean Forest potting mix.
It has forest humus, bat guano, fish meal, earthworm castings, and moss in a combo that makes all of my houseplants as happy as can be.
Grab a single or double pack of a 1.5 cubic foot bag via Amazon.
Gently remove the plant from its pot and gently loosen up the roots a little. Place the roots in the new container at the same depth they were previously, and fill in around them with potting soil.
How to Grow Chinese Money Plant
Pancake plants prefer bright, indirect light. Within two feet of a window with sheer curtains, or just to the side of a window where it won’t be hit by direct light would work nicely.
Avoid any direct light. Too much light will cause heat stress and the leaves will start to curl back and develop wrinkles.
If the petioles become long and droopy, that is a sign it’s not exposed to enough light.
Variegated cultivars will lose their color if they’re in too much or too little light.
Water when the top two-thirds of the potting medium has dried out. I’m assuming you are growing your Chinese money plant in a pot with drainage holes at the bottom (you are, right?). If so, you need to empty any cachepot or saucer about 30 minutes after watering.
Overwatering can cause the leaves to droop and curl into themselves.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Speaking of containers, P. peperomioides has a small, shallow root system. Remember, in their native habitat they grow in rocky areas so they don’t have the opportunity to develop deep roots.
If you use a deep pot, you run the risk that either the roots won’t be able to reach the moisture in the soil, or you will have to provide an excessive amount of water to bring the water up high enough for the roots to access.
A shallow pot or one that is no deeper than twice the width of the specimen is ideal.
Don’t use a deep pot and fill up the bottom with rocks or broken pottery. This is bad gardening advice and a myth that simply won’t die. Rocks in the bottom of a pot won’t improve the drainage and provide a place for water to drain so the roots won’t drown.
The change in texture from the potting medium to the rocks in the base causes the water to pool above the rocks via a method called capillary action.
Chinese money plants prefer humidity around 50 to 75 percent. You can group a few houseplants together to raise the relative humidity or run a small humidifier.
Even better, keep your Chinese money plants in a bathroom or near your kitchen sink, which tend to be the most humid areas in the home. Pebble trays don’t do much to raise the humidity, so I don’t recommend them.
We might not realize it since we don’t get the chance to see the plants in their native environment, but many of the species we grow as houseplants remain in a perpetually juvenile state.
They’re more attractive that way, since mature specimens can be bulky and leggy, and they stay a more manageable size. Pothos, philodendron, monstera, and pilea are all kept juvenile, for the most part.
As your Chinese money plant grows, it tends to start dropping the lower leaves and can start to look leggy and bare. Every few years, unless you like the leggy look, you might want to cut off the bushy top of the stem and propagate it as described above.
A few leaves dropping here and there is totally normal. The lower leaves drop off as they age.
But if your specimen starts acting like a deciduous tree and lots of leaves start turning yellow and dropping, especially in the fall, it means that they were exposed to too low temperatures too rapidly.
You’ll often see this with plants placed close to a window, because it can be significantly colder near a window than many of us realize.
If you want to encourage a symmetrical shape, rotate the pot a quarter turn every month.
Chinese money plants must be kept in temperatures between 60 and 80°F. Anything below 55°F and you run the risk of harming it. Keep it away from exterior doors, single-pane windows, or air vents.
Feed your specimen every week with a mild, balanced fertilizer. There are many good houseplant-specific fertilizers available.
Dr. Earth’s Pump and Grow, for instance, has an NPK ratio of 1-1-1 and is made using waste scraps from grocery stores.
Water when the top two-thirds of the pot has dried out.
Maintain temperatures between 60 and 80°F.
Pruning and Maintenance
As the leaves age, they turn yellow. You can snip or pull these off. Be aware that leaves can also turn yellow if you are overwatering.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
You can tell the difference because they will be soft as well as yellow, and it won’t just be the older leaves that will change colors.
Leaves might also turn yellow if they’re exposed to too much light. In this case, they will retain their typical texture but they’ll turn a pale, light yellow.
Wipe the leaves every few weeks with a damp cloth to remove dust. If too much dust builds up on the leaves, the plant will suffocate and can’t photosynthesize.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
This also removes the water marks that inevitably build-up when water splashes or accumulates on the leaves.
As they mature, the lower leaves drop and the plant will take on a tree-like shape. If you don’t like this, you’ll need to snip the trunk off about halfway down right above a leaf node.
It will send out new, bushy growth at the spot where you cut it. Otherwise, just let it take on that natural shape.
Chinese Money Plant Cultivars to Select
The vast majority of specimens you’ll find for sale are species plants, but there are a few variegated cultivars available.
Variegated cultivars aren’t as common, but they’re worth searching out because they’re beautiful.
But so is the species, and if you prefer one of those, you can buy a live specimen in a six-inch pot at Fast Growing Trees.
Mojito
Break out the drinks, we’re going to celebrate with ‘Mojito.’
This cultivar is like the species in every way except for one special difference: the leaves are speckled in hues of dark and lime green, like chunks of muddled basil floating around in your cocktail.
Sugar
‘Sugar’ is a sweet little cultivar that looks like it has been dusted in sugar granules, with tons of white speckles covering the foliage.
White Splash
The leaves of ‘White Splash’ are freckled in tiny dots of white, like someone splashed the foliage with white paint.
Plus, the variegation is stable and new leaves and pups will consistently show the coloration.
You can nab a starter plant in a two-inch pot from Optiflora via Amazon.
Managing Pests and Disease
Keep your plant healthy, and it’s unlikely that pests or pathogens will come calling. If you are unlucky enough to encounter a problem, here are the ones you will most likely see:
Insects
If you examine your plant to look for pests and you notice salt-like deposits on the underside of the leaves, it’s nothing to worry about.
These aren’t insect eggs, the discoloration is caused by mineral deposits that form on the foliage as it ages.
Aphids
Aphids are small, pear-shaped insects that use their sucking mouthparts to draw the sap out of the plant. The result is drooping, yellowing, and stunted growth.
Most of us will encounter aphids at some point in our lives, so don’t panic if you notice these pests clustering on the stems and undersides of the leaves.
First, isolate your Chinese money plant. Then, read our guide to learn about dealing with aphids. My preferred method is to spray them off with water, but you can also use insecticides.
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are small insects from the family Pseudococcidae that feed on plants. They’re closely related to scale insects, but instead of armor, they have a waxy coating that protects them.
Not only do they feed on the sap but they can spread disease as well.
When they feed on Pilea, it causes the leaves to turn yellow and may even result in stunted growth.
Examine any specimen that looks less than healthy to see if there are any signs of these bugs, which tend to cluster in groups on the stems and undersides of the leaves.
It’s easier than you might think. You can wipe them with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol, which removes their protective coating and leaves them open to the elements.
Scale
Closely related to mealybugs, scale are flat, oval insects that look like little lumps on the leaves and stems.
They’re less common on houseplants than scale and aphids, but you still might see them. If you don’t see the insects themselves, look for leaf yellowing and drooping.
It’s unlikely that you’ll have disease issues with your Chinese money plants. They’re tough and rarely bothered. Overwatering, however, can result in root rot.
Root Rot
Root rot is caused both by overwatering and pathogens in the Pythium genus.
Pythium species are oomycetes, or water molds, that cause roots to turn black and mushy as they die.
Even when the pathogens aren’t present, overwatering can drown the roots and deprive them of oxygen.
Either way, if the leaves are drooping and turning soft and brown, unpot the plant, remove the soil, and inspect the roots. Are they black and mushy? If so, use a clean pair of scissors and cut off all the dead material.
Next wipe out the container with a 10 percent bleach solution (one part bleach to nine parts water) and dispose of all the old soil.
Spray the roots with copper fungicide and repot it in fresh potting soil. Now be cautious to water much less than you were previously.
Once a month, drench the soil in copper fungicide. If you don’t already have copper fungicide in your gardening arsenal, it’s handy to have around because it’s useful for treating so many different diseases.
The long stalk of P. peperomioides can be shaped, braided with others, or left to grow upright to look like a tree.
I’ve seen trailing Chinese money trees, those with five braided stems, and those kept short and bushy. You could grow one as a tree with pothos trailing out of the pot.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Plant Type:
Tropical perennial
Flower/Foliage Color:
Pink, pinky white, white/green, yellow, white
Native to:
China
Maintenance:
Low
Hardiness (USDA Zone):
9-11
Tolerance:
Low light
Bloom Season:
Spring, summer
Soil Type:
Loose, airy, humus-rich
Exposure:
Bright, indirect light
Soil pH:
6.0-7.5
Time to Maturity:
2 years
Soil Drainage:
Well-draining
Height:
18 inches
Uses:
Trailing, tree habit, bushy houseplant
Spread:
18 inches
Order:
Rosales
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Family:
Urticaceae
Water Needs:
Moderate
Genus:
Pilea
Common Pests and Diseases:
Aphids, mealybugs, scale; Root rot
Species:
Peperomioides
Pass it On
This popular houseplant is tough, unfussy, and eye-catching. It’s a blast to have around, which is all the more reason that it’s your turn to pass the friendship plant along.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
I sincerely hope you learned all you hoped about growing (and sharing) Chinese money plants. How are you going to grow yours? Do you plan on keeping it bushy and short? Tall like a tiny tree? Share with us in the comments section below!
Alright, one last wishlist post from me, your GPOD editor… This time I’m looking past flowers to foliage that I want to add to the garden. Everyone knows that foliage is the heart of a well-designed garden as it lasts so much longer than flowers. BUT I’m very guilty of being seduced by pretty flowers, so I need to really focus on stepping up my foliage game this year.
What are your favorite foliage plants? Send in photos, we’d love to see them!
This conifer is Pinuscontorta ‘Chief Joseph’ (Zone 5 – 8). In the summer, it looks perfectly normal. But in the winter, the needles turn this brilliant yellow. It is slow growing, and needs some protection from direct sun in the winter to keep from burning, but wow, what a color! The burlap behind it in this photo is to give it a bit of shade. I took this photo at Hidden Lake Gardens in Michigan.
Another favorite with yellow foliage… Aralia ‘Sun King’ (Zone 4 – 8). Hard to beat that color! I actually planted one of these last year, but it is still small… it takes time to build up to this huge specimen I saw in a garden in Virginia.
I took this photo of a dahlia at Chicago Botanic Gardens, I just loved the rich dark color of the foliage contrasting with the bright yellow flowers! Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture of the label, so I’m trying to figure out the variety. I THINK it might be ‘Happy Days Yellow’.
Begoniagrandis (Zone 5 – 9) is probably the most cold hardy begonia out there. The small pink flowers are pretty, but the foliage is really the star, I love how the backs of the leaves are red.
Bowman’s root (Porteranthustrifoliatus, Zone 4 – 8) is a wonderful perennial native to eastern North America. I’ve always enjoyed is pretty white flowers in the spring, but never realized that the fall color was so good! This is a clump I saw at the Lurie Garden in Chicago.
This may look like a clump of grass that is dead and brown for the winter… but actually, it is a sedge (Carex buchananii, Zone 6 – 9) and it looks like this all summer! Some hate it… I love it. This is a patch from my old garden, where it was a favorite snoozing spot for me cat. Time to plant more in my current space.
Rex begonia vine (Cissusdiscolor, Zone 9 – 11) is a gorgeous vine I’ve loved every time I’ve seen it at public gardens, but I’ve never actually grown it myself. That foliage is just incredible!
Okay, one last photo, and this isn’t quite foliage… but it isn’t flowers either. Rather, the great fruit of winter berry holly (Ilexverticillata, Zone 3 – 9). This is native to a wide swath of North America. And such a great plant. I don’t know why I don’t have any at home! Need to fix that this year.
Winter is always a slow time for GPOD submissions, so if you’ve been putting off submitting, please send in some photos now! If your garden is dormant for the winter, it is the prefect time to look through your photos from warmer times and send us some of your favorites.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
“The heaviest radish weighs 45.865 kg (101 lb 1.8 oz) and was grown by Manda Fermentation Co., Ltd. (Japan) as verified at HAKKO Park in Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan, on 22 February 2023.
Manda Fermentation Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer of supplements and special fertilizers made from fermented botanical raw ingredients, and they grow giant radishes every year using their technology. The regular radish is harvested in 3 months, but this particular radish was harvested after 6. It had a circumference of 113 cm, and the root length was 80cm.”
The largest radish cultivar I’m aware of is the Sakurajima daikon, of which we’ll be planting some seeds in 2024. This new record-breaker probably had those genetics.
We don’t usually get radishes larger than about three pounds from the regular daikon varieties we plant. We also don’t have a great radish-growing climate, as the summer gets too hot too fast.
“The heaviest radish weighs 45.865 kg (101 lb 1.8 oz) and was grown by Manda Fermentation Co., Ltd. (Japan) as verified at HAKKO Park in Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan, on 22 February 2023.
Manda Fermentation Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer of supplements and special fertilizers made from fermented botanical raw ingredients, and they grow giant radishes every year using their technology. The regular radish is harvested in 3 months, but this particular radish was harvested after 6. It had a circumference of 113 cm, and the root length was 80cm.”
The largest radish cultivar I’m aware of is the Sakurajima daikon, of which we’ll be planting some seeds in 2024. This new record-breaker probably had those genetics.
We don’t usually get radishes larger than about three pounds from the regular daikon varieties we plant. We also don’t have a great radish-growing climate, as the summer gets too hot too fast.
It seems so straightforward: grab the watering can, pour some water into the pot your houseplant is growing in, and get on with your day.
But proper watering is one of the most complicated elements of caring for houseplants. And the consequences can be dire if you get it wrong.
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Watering at the wrong time, with too much or too little water can lead to fungal and bacterial diseases that can kill your plants, and underwatering can starve your plant to death.
Advice on hydrating your houseplants can often be vague.
In this guide, we’ll help you understand how, when, and what type of liquid to use to keep your houseplants healthy.
Here’s what we’ll discuss:
I find that in general most beginners to the houseplant world tend to overwater their plants. That was certainly the case for me, and it took me years to break the overwatering habit.
As we go into this, try to consider your current watering habits.
Do you irrigate on a specific schedule? Do you regularly splash liquid on the leaves of your plant? Do you check the soil for moisture regularly?
We all make mistakes, that’s part of life. Let’s discuss how to do it right.
How Often?
If you’re someone who waters on a schedule, stop immediately. Anytime someone recommends that you irrigate a plant according to the calendar, they’re steering you in the wrong direction.
There are so many elements that impact how quickly the soil dries out. It can vary from home to home and even from room to room.
A plant situated in your kitchen might need watering every two weeks, while the exact same specimen set in your living room may need irrigation once a week.
Of course, watering needs vary from species to species. A cactus needs far less than a pilea, for example.
The amount of light the plant receives, if there is any sort of air circulation around the plant from a heat or AC vent, the relative humidity in the air, how compacted the soil is, how much drainage the container has, and what kind of soil you use, are some of the factors that can impact how quickly the soil dries out.
How often you irrigate will depend entirely on your specific plant, and it might change from season to season.
If you’re feeling lost, don’t worry. It’s easy to determine when to water by checking the soil.
This can be done with your finger or by using a soil moisture meter. Once you get to know your plant, you might even be able to tell just by the weight of the pot when you lift it up.
You can also tell if the plant starts to wilt and the soil feels dry. Plants can wilt for other reasons, so don’t immediately assume it’s a drought situation.
The best time of day to water is in the morning rather than the evening because it gives the leaves time to dry and gives you time to empty the drainage saucer or cachepot.
How Much?
As with determining how often to hydrate your plants, working out how much to apply is incredibly subjective.
Again, if someone tells you to add a certain amount, like a cup of water each time, they are steering you wrong.
The amount of water you’ll need to provide depends on the needs of the species you are growing, your particular environment, and the water-retentive qualities of the potting medium.
In the same way as determining when to irrigate, you will need to rely on the soil moisture level to tell you how much to add.
This is where a soil moisture meter comes in handy. It will tell you exactly how damp the potting soil is and then you can compare that to the recommended moisture level for the species you’re growing.
If you don’t have a moisture meter, you can stick your finger in the soil.
“Moist” would be a texture similar to a well wrung-out sponge. Dry would feel like a dry sponge. Wet would feel like a sponge that hasn’t been wrung out yet.
You can also ball the soil up in your hand. If it falls apart, it’s dry. If it stays together but no water squeezes out, it’s moist. If moisture squeezes out, it’s wet.
What Type?
For the majority of plants, good old municipal tap water will do just fine.
If you’re worried, go ahead and leave the liquid in a container without a lid for 24 hours to let some of the chemicals evaporate.
If you have soft water, don’t use it on your plants. Soft water has salts that can rapidly build up in the soil and kill your specimen.
Some species are extremely sensitive to water quality, so for these plants, use rain, filtered, or distilled water.
The water should always be near room temperature. Cold or hot liquid can harm your plant.
How to Water
Now for the easy part, right?
Take your watering can and fill it up. Pour the water out slowly onto the surface of the potting medium.
When you water, apply the moisture to the soil, not like rain on the foliage. Wetting the foliage can often lead to problems with fungal diseases.
Add enough water so that it starts to run out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
What’s that you say? Your pot doesn’t have drainage holes? You’re playing with fire, my friend.
Unless you’re growing a species that doesn’t mind wet feet – and very few do – a pot without drainage is going to result in standing water around the roots and will inevitably lead to root rot.
You want to make sure the soil is saturated all the way through. If you just add a little bit on the surface, it won’t reach the roots and will encourage shallow root growth, which isn’t ideal for most plants.
Wait 30 minutes after you irrigate, and then empty the outer pot or catchment saucer.
You can also use a process known as bottom watering.
Plants usually aren’t shy about telling you the moisture situation is wrong.
Too much typically results in yellowing leaves, brown patches on the foliage, wilting, and dropping leaves.
Under the soil, the roots turn dark or black and mushy. If you take the plant out of the container, you might get a whiff of something unpleasant.
That’s the build-up of bacteria or fungi and it smells a lot like a vase that has been holding cut flowers for a week.
Too little water results in wilting and dry foliage. If you touch the soil, it will feel extremely dry. Sometimes, this can happen if the medium has become hydrophobic as a result of allowing the soil to dry out too much and too often.
Hydrophobic soil has a waxy layer on top, so when you water, the moisture runs off and down the sides of the container rather than soaking into the medium. Either replace this medium or use the bottom watering method instead.
If your container doesn’t have drainage holes, you need to repot as quickly as possible.
Without adequate drainage, there’s nowhere for the water to escape and even if you don’t add too much, it can still stagnate in the bottom of the pot. This leads to a buildup of bacteria and fungi.
Use a container with drainage and set it inside a decorative pot instead.
In addition, please don’t put rocks or other material at the base of the pot to improve drainage. If I could get rid of one gardening myth, I think this would be it.
Adding this drainage material won’t work and it actually increases the risk of root rot. That’s because there’s a process called capillary action that causes water to pool when it encounters a different texture.
So, the water will collect at the transition between the soil and the rocks or drainage material, sitting closer to the roots, before it eventually drains down into the rocks.
Healthy Plants Start With Water
Mastering the art of watering well is probably the most crucial part of becoming an expert at caring for houseplants.
Finding the right amount, the right timing, and the right type of water for your houseplants will make all the difference in the world in their health.
What kind of houseplants are you growing? Have you run into any trouble figuring out how to water them? Let us know in the comments section below.
We would like to grow a lot more purple ube yam in the New Year, yet getting enough seed material is difficult.
Usually, ube is propagated by cutting an existing yam into chunks about the size of a tennis ball. This means you only get about 6-8 plants per tuber.
It can also be propagated by planting aerial bulbils, though those are not usually produced in quantity.
In our experience, purple ube is less vigorous than the wilder white form of the species, with smaller roots and many less bulbils per plant.
Being able to propagate it from less material would be quite useful. We’d like to produce at least 1/3 acre of ube yams this year.
John Phillips in the Philippines shared this video with me on the 20th of this month:
He is just using slices of skin to make new plants.
After watching it, I decided to see if I could recreate what he’s doing. I don’t understand Tagalog, but it appears like he simply peels a mature ube yam and then puts the peels in a bag to sprout, leaving it outside and open.
I peeled a couple of small ube yams, then put their peels in a bag and put the bag on top of my fridge in the house where it’s warm.
I also took some other peels and dusted them with ashes, like we produce our normal yam minisetts, and planted them in tray of potting soil.
The peels on top of the fridge are molding over already, which is what I expected. I feel like the video is missing something. If you speak Tagalog, please let me know what I’m doing wrong – or if the video is bogus.
It’s possible for peels to grow, as you can see in this video:
However, I have my doubts that skin from dormant tubers can just be thrown in a bag to sprout.
We’ll keep experimenting and let you know if anything works. I have some expensive ube tubers ($5 per lb) from a Vietnamese market we’re trying various methods with.
Hopefully we won’t burn through them all without success!
We would like to grow a lot more purple ube yam in the New Year, yet getting enough seed material is difficult.
Usually, ube is propagated by cutting an existing yam into chunks about the size of a tennis ball. This means you only get about 6-8 plants per tuber.
It can also be propagated by planting aerial bulbils, though those are not usually produced in quantity.
In our experience, purple ube is less vigorous than the wilder white form of the species, with smaller roots and many less bulbils per plant.
Being able to propagate it from less material would be quite useful. We’d like to produce at least 1/3 acre of ube yams this year.
John Phillips in the Philippines shared this video with me on the 20th of this month:
He is just using slices of skin to make new plants.
After watching it, I decided to see if I could recreate what he’s doing. I don’t understand Tagalog, but it appears like he simply peels a mature ube yam and then puts the peels in a bag to sprout, leaving it outside and open.
I peeled a couple of small ube yams, then put their peels in a bag and put the bag on top of my fridge in the house where it’s warm.
I also took some other peels and dusted them with ashes, like we produce our normal yam minisetts, and planted them in tray of potting soil.
The peels on top of the fridge are molding over already, which is what I expected. I feel like the video is missing something. If you speak Tagalog, please let me know what I’m doing wrong – or if the video is bogus.
It’s possible for peels to grow, as you can see in this video:
However, I have my doubts that skin from dormant tubers can just be thrown in a bag to sprout.
We’ll keep experimenting and let you know if anything works. I have some expensive ube tubers ($5 per lb) from a Vietnamese market we’re trying various methods with.
Hopefully we won’t burn through them all without success!
Hi GPODers, your editor Joseph here again today with more plants from my spring shopping wishlist. And today I’m sharing some things I’m eyeing to add – or reaquire – for my shade garden.
To start off, this wonderful woodland spring bloomer, Anemonenemorosa ‘Vestal’ (Zone 5 – 9). This is a photo I took at a fantastic garden in Oregon, and I’ve been wanting a patch of this plant ever since.
The best of the yellow wood poppies, Hylomeconjaponicum (Zone 4 – 8) comes up in the spring looking absolutely perfect and covers itself with sunny yellow blooms. This is a photo from my friend Brigitta’s garden in Michigan. High time I added some clumps to my own garden.
This is a wildflower I remember from my childhood that I rarely see in gardens for some reason. Purple flowering raspberry (Rubusodoratus, Zone 3 – 8) is native to open woodlands around much of eastern North America. It has fragrant. Purple flowers all summer followed by small raspberries that are edible if not amazing tasting. Oh, and unlike other raspberries, no thorns here.
The leaves of purple flowering raspberry are pretty beautiful too! Big and bold.
This is what the whole plant looks like. It does sucker a bit, so it can spread too much for a small garden, but I think I have a perfect spot for it.
This is an unusual hosta that I just love, Hostaclausa (Zone 3 – 8) which is unlike most hostas for many reasons. Instead of clumping, it spreads to make a ground-cover. And the flowers are intensely colored, and stay in these tight buds, never fully opening, for a long-lasting display in late summer when the shade garden needs a punch of color.
This is what a clump of Hostaclausa looks like in my friend’s garden. Such a great ground-cover.
The double form of our native Trilliumgrandiflorum (Zone 3 – 8) is a stunning flower… I’ve been wanting one for years, but it is slow to propegate, making it expensive and hard to find. But maybe this is the year I spring for one.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Read through these practical gardening terms and definitions to give yourself an overview. Then, as you gain experience in your garden, you will see the words and meanings come to life. Don’t worry about memorizing everything; you will learn as you go. Refer to this page as needed. You’ve got this!
Starting a garden can feel overwhelming. You may have heard many gardening terms and phrases but didn’t clearly understand them. This post lists many helpful gardening terms with their definitions.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.
ACIDIC SOIL: Soil with a pH lower than 7.0. Most plants prefer slightly acidic soil.
AIRFLOW: Proper spacing between and around plants allows air to circulate and prevents mold and moisture-related diseases. Airflow around plants is as essential as sunshine and water.
ALKALINE SOIL: Soil with pH higher than 7.0. Arizona native soils are typically alkaline.
ANNUAL: A plant that completes its life cycle from seed to flower to production of seeds within one growing season, after which the entire plant dies.
BARE ROOT: Dormant plants sold with roots exposed rather than in a container with soil. When purchasing and planting a bare root plant, note that roots should be kept moist until you can plant them in soil.
BENEFICIAL INSECTS: Insects or the larvae of insects that prey on pests and their eggs. Common beneficial insects include ladybugs, lacewings, hover flies, parasitic wasps, praying mantis, soldier bugs, and spiders. Read more in this blog post.
BIENNIAL: A plant that requires two years to complete its life cycle from seed to flower to production of seeds, followed by the plant’s death. Examples of biennials include carrots, onions, and parsley.
BLANCHING: Blocking the light from a plant to keep it paler in color or milder in flavor.
BOLTING: Producing seeds or flowers prematurely. Annual and biennial plants switch from storing energy to producing seeds at the end of their life cycle. When a plant is under stress, it may pre-maturely make a flowering stem that produces seeds. However, once a plant bolts, it often becomes bitter. Read more in this blog post.
BUD UNION: Place where the shoot or bud (scion) is grafted onto the rootstock.
BULB: Storage structure that contains the complete life cycle of a plant. It remains dormant until conditions are favorable for growth. Examples of bulbs include garlic and onions.
CALICHE: A type of sedimentary rock formed from calcium carbonate. Common in desert soils. Causes problems with lack of drainage.
CHILL HOURS: The number of hours when the air temperature between 32°F and 45°F. Winter hours above 60°F are subtracted from the total. The minimum period of cold weather a fruit-bearing tree needs to blossom and produce fruit. Cold climates have more chill hours than warm climates. See also VERNALIZATION.
CHLOROSIS:Yellowing of leaves due to chlorophyll breakdown or loss of production. It is often caused by high soil pH, lack of fertility, moisture, pests, or herbicide injury.
Gardening Glossary: Practical Gardening Terms and Definitions (cont.)
COCONUT COIR: A product made from the fiber of coconut shells and typically sold as pressed bricks; a common ingredient in many potting soils. Coconut coir allows for water retention, drainage, and aeration for roots.
COMPANION PLANTING: The practice of planting different crops to benefit both crops in various ways, including increasing productivity, pest control, and pollination. Read more in this blog post.
COMPOST: A mixture of decayed organic matter used as a soil conditioner or plant fertilizer. It improves soil’s ability to drain well and hold air and water.
COMPOSTING: The process of combining plant and other organic matter with air and water to encourage microbial activity and decomposition into a form usable as a soil conditioner or plant fertilizer. Read more in this blog post.
CONTAINER: Anything filled with soil and used for planting. Range from small to very large. Read more in this blog post.
COOL-SEASON CROP:Vegetables, herbs, or flowers that thrive during cooler months. Often originate from temperate regions.
CORM: Swollen, energy-storing structure (similar to bulbs) of ranunculus, iris, and crocus.
COVER CROP: Category of crops grown to cover the soil during periods where there would not be anything growing. It can enrich the soil, prevent weeds and erosion, and help with pests and diseases. Learn more here.
Cowpeas being grown as a cover crop
CROSS-POLLINATION: Often required with certain types of fruit trees. The second variety of fruit (pollenizer) is planted nearby to increase pollination and yield.
CUT-AND-COME-AGAIN METHOD: This method is a way to harvest continually from a single plant over several weeks or months rather than harvesting the entire plant. Use this harvesting method with plants such as arugula, celery, kale, lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard.
DAMPING OFF: Wilting or dying back of young seedlings, often caused by soil-borne fungal pathogens. Seedlings wilt, topple over, and die.
DAYS TO MATURITY:The amount of time from when the seed or transplant is planted until maturity (meaning the fruit is harvested or the flower blooms). It is usually listed on the seed packet or plant label.
DEADHEADING: The practice of removing faded blooms from flowers to encourage more buds, improve appearance, and delay seed formation.
DECIDUOUS: A type of tree or shrub that sheds its leaves each year, usually in the autumn.
DIRECT SOWING: Planting seeds directly in the garden or containers outside, rather than starting from transplant or seeds indoors. Read more in this blog post.
DIVIDING: Dividing a plant means digging it up and separating it into two or more sections. Each section should contain roots and part of the plant. These sections can be planted and become new plants.
DORMANCY: A time when plants’ growth and activity are at a minimum, generally during temperature extremes.
DRAINAGE: The downward movement of water through the soil. Drainage is often hindered if caliche is present. Poor drainage kills plants because the roots do not receive adequate oxygen.
DWARF: Smaller and more compact than the typical variety for that type of plant. Fruit is usually a standard size.
ESPALIER: Practice of pruning (usually fruit trees) to encourage flat growth against a vertical surface.
ESTABLISHED: After planting, the point at which the plant’s roots have begun to spread and grow below ground and above ground, the plant sends out new growth.
EVERGREEN: A plant or tree that retains its leaves throughout the year and into the following growing season.
Gardening Glossary: Practical Gardening Terms and Definitions (cont.)
FERTILIZE: To apply nutrients to a plant.
Granular fertilizer: dry, pelleted fertilizer.
Liquid fertilizer: a liquid fertilizer, usually mixed with water to form a solution.
Side dress: sprinkling fertilizer in the soil next to a plant.
Foliar feed: spraying a fertilizer solution onto the leaves of a plant.
Soil drench: pouring a fertilizer solution into the soil surrounding the plant.
FROST DATE: Date of the average first or average last freeze that occurs in spring or fall.
FROST HARDY: A plant that can survive a certain amount of freezing temperatures without damage to leaves, stems, or roots.
FROST SENSITIVE: A plant likely to be damaged or killed by freezing temperatures. Read more in this blog post.
FULL SUN: At least six hours (or more) of unobstructed sunlight each day.
GERMINATION: The development of a plant from a seed into a seedling in response to warmth, water, and sometimes light.
GROWING SEASON: The time during the year when conditions are right for plants to grow. Sometimes counted from the date of the last frost in the spring to the first frost in the fall.
HABIT: A plant’s growth pattern; can be described as trailing, upright, spreading, etc.
HAND POLLINATION: Assisting with the transfer of pollen in plants from the male reproductive organ (stamen) to the female reproductive organ (pistil) to form fruit. Use a small paint brush to transfer the pollen or remove the male blossom (long, thin stem) and lightly touch the center of the male flower to the center of the female flower (bulbous stem).
HARDENING OFF: Gradually exposing an indoor / greenhouse-grown plant to increasing periods outside to prevent shock when planted outside. Read more in this blog post.
Gardening Glossary: Practical Gardening Terms and Definitions (cont.)
HARDINESS: A plant’s ability to tolerate cold temperatures.
HARDINESS ZONE: The geographical zone where certain plants grow best in that particular climate. The hardiness zones show the average annual minimum temperature ranges for a specific area. Awareness of your growing zone helps you know which fruit trees will survive outdoors or if you must bring containers inside during cold months. However, hardiness zones are not a good indicator of summer temperatures. See also USDA PLANTING ZONE.
HERBACEOUS: A plant with soft or fleshy tissue. Commonly refers to any non-woody plant, annual, perennial, or bulb. Contrast with woody.
HÜGELKULTUR (pronounced “hoo-gul-culture”): Gardening technique for building soil structure through layering. Typically logs and other wood layered with soil. Benefits include a reduced need for watering and fertilizer.
HYBRID: The resulting plant from cross-pollination (intentional or natural) between two or more plants in the same family (genus).
HYDROPHOBIC: “Water hating”. Soil that repels or will not absorb moisture. If the soil has dried out too much, water may drain through the soil without being absorbed. If this happens to your soil, gently dig in it with a garden spade; don’t turn the soil over, just loosen it. Next, repeatedly sprinkle the surface lightly with water. After several sprayings, the soil should begin to break up and loosen, allowing more water to be absorbed.
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM): Method of managing pests, weeds, and diseases with the least possible disruption to the surrounding ecosystem. Emphasizes observation and natural, biological solutions. Read more in this blog post.
IRRIGATION: Watering the garden and surrounding landscape using different methods, including drip systems, soaker hoses, flood irrigation, and hand watering with a hose. Read more in this blog post.
JUNE DROP: Natural thinning by a fruit tree of excess fruit; common on citrus trees. In warm areas, often occurs during May.
LARVA: The active immature stage of an insect, especially one that differs from the adult. The plural is “larvae”.
LEGGY:The condition of seedlings when there is not enough light present during germination and early growth. The seedlings stretch towards the light and often become unusable. Read more in this blog post.
MACRONUTRIENTS:Plant nutrients required in percentage quantities: calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur.
Flowers to Plant Outside & Seeds to Start Indoors Each Month in the Low Desert of Arizona. • PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists annual flowers and bulbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors. • BLOOMING GUIDE: Photos show what may be in bloom that month.
MICROCLIMATE: The climate of a small area. It can be a backyard or a portion of a yard. Microclimates are influenced by factors such as hills, hollows, surrounding structures, and existing plants.
MICRONUTRIENTS: Trace amounts of minerals such as boron, chlorine, copper, iron, maghanese, molybdenum, nicket, and zinc that are needed in parts per million for proper plant development.
MULCH: A layer of material spread over the surface of the soil. Types of organic mulch include leaves, grass clippings, peat moss, compost, straw, and pine needles. Organic mulch reduces evaporation, regulates temperature, and reduces weeds. Read more in this blog post.
MYCHORHIZA: A symbiotic relationship between certain fungi and roots of plants; literally “fungus root”. The plural is “mycorrhizae”.
Gardening Glossary: Practical Gardening Terms and Definitions (cont.)
NITROGEN: An ingredient in most fertilizers crucial for healthy leafy growth. Plants use more nitrogen than any other nutrient. The amount of nitrogen is listed as the first number in the three numbers on fertilizers (N-P-K).
NO-TILL GARDENING:Minimal disruption to the soil while gardening to minimize disruption to the soil food web. Removing plants by cutting at the base and leaving the roots in place is an easy way to begin no-till practices in your garden.
OLLA: A clay pot with a narrow neck and bulging body used as a watering technique that reduces evaporation and makes water available where the roots need it. The wider part of the olla is buried in the soil, with the narrow opening remaining above soil level. Fill the olla with water regularly, and it seeps out through the porous wall of the pot into the surrounding soil and root zone of the plant. I use ollas from Growoya. Use code GROWING to save.
ORGANIC FERTILIZER: Naturally-occurring fertilizers derived from rock, animal, and plant matter.
ORGANIC GARDENING: Gardening without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers to maintain plant and soil health. Read more in this blog post.
ORGANIC MATTER: Carbon-based material from plants and animals that is capable of decomposition. Includes products of organisms and the decayed remains of dead organisms.
PARTIAL SHADE: Areas of the yard and garden that receive between four to six hours of unobstructed sunlight each day.
PEAT MOSS: Partially decomposed moss remains; used as a common ingredient in potting soil. Peat moss holds water and air, decomposes slowly, improves the texture, and raises soil pH. It is considered a less sustainable option than coconut coir.
PERENNIAL: A non-woody plant that lives for many growing seasons. The top of the plant may die back in the winter and come back each spring from the existing roots. Or the plant may keep its leaves year-round.
PERLITE: A material formed when volcanic rock is crushed and heated; it is a common ingredient in potting soil. Adding perlite to soil keeps the soil loose and helps with water retention. Perlite retains less water than vermiculite.
PEST:Any organism that can cause disease or injury to plants or plant products. Read more in this blog post.
Squash Bugs
PHOSPHOROUS: An ingredient in most fertilizers that encourages strong root growth and the development of flowers, fruits, and seeds. The amount of phosphorous is listed as the second number in the three numbers on fertilizers (N-P-K).
PHOTOSYNTHESIS: The process whereby plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into usable energy for the plant.
PINCHING: Removing the top or sucker growth to encourage bushier growth, longer stems, or more blooms. Common on plants such as basil, tomatoes, zinnias, and peppers.
PLANT FAMILIES: Plant categories that share broad characteristics and have similar growth requirements and habits. The common names of some plant families and their members include:
PLANTING GUIDE: A reference that tells the optimal time to plant vegetables, herbs, and flowers based on a specific location or climate.
POLLINATION: The transfer of pollen in plants from the male reproductive organ (stamen) to the female reproductive organ (pistil) to form fruit. Some flowering crops have separate male and female blossoms (squash, cucumber), while other crops (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers) have perfect flowers (both male and female organs in one flower). Bees and other pollinators assist in pollination by transferring the pollen from one flower to another or vibrating the flower to distribute the pollen inside the flower.
POLLINATOR: An insect, bird, or animal that transfers pollen from one flower or plant to another.
POLYCULTURE: A variety of plants in each bed or plot of land. Diversity in plantings attracts a broader assortment of beneficial insects and pollinators. Read more in this blog post.
POTASSIUM: An ingredient in most fertilizers that increases the yield and quality of plants and helps plants resist disease and stress. The amount of potassium is listed as the last number in the series of three numbers on fertilizers (N-P-K).
Gardening Glossary: Practical Gardening Terms and Definitions (cont.)
POTTING SOIL: A blend of ingredients that holds moisture around plants’ roots, provides air for growing roots, and allows for plant drainage in containers. Sometimes called potting medium, container soil, or container mix. The ingredients may include vermiculite, perlite, coconut coir, and peat moss. Read more in this blog post.
POTTING UP: Transferring seedlings to a larger container. Often done when the roots or plant has outgrown the container the seeds were started in and conditions prevent planting outside in the garden.
POWDERY MILDEW:Common name for one of a group of fungal pathogens that form a white froth on the surfaces of plant parts. Read more in this blog post.
Powdery Mildew
PRUNING: Removal of dead, diseased, overgrown, or unwanted branches.
RESEED: The dropped seed from an annual plant that regrows the following season if conditions are suitable for germination and growth.
RHIZOMES: Fleshy stems spread horizontally underground and contain several buds or growing points. Examples of rhizomes include ginger and turmeric.
ROOT BALL: The grouping of roots and soil surrounding a plant when removed from the ground or container.
ROOT BOUND: Plants grown in the same container too long have tangled roots that circle the container. Roots restricted in too-small containers become “root bound” and are less likely to flourish after being planted in the garden.
ROOT CROWN: The area of the plant or tree where the roots branch off from the stem or trunk. It is essential not to bury this part of the plant when potting up trees and bushes.
ROOT STOCK: The base of a grafted plant is usually selected for size, hardiness, or disease resistance.
ROOT ZONE: The soil, water, and oxygen area below ground and around the plant’s roots that supply the plant with water and nutrients. The roots are usually concentrated in the top 18 inches of soil and spread as wide as the plant’s canopy.
ROW COVER: Lightweight or translucent fabric covers plants to protect them from frost, insects, birds, or other pests. Allows air, light, and water to pass through.
SEEDLING: The first emergence of growth from seed. Emerging leaves are called cotyledons, while subsequent leaves are called true leaves.
SEED STARTING MIX: Typically a sterile, soil-less mix of peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, or other ingredients. Used when starting seeds indoors.
SEED TYPES:
GMO – Genetically modified organism whose genetic material has been altered.
Heirlooms – Generally are open-pollinated varieties more than 50 years old.
Hybrid – Produced by crossing plants from different lines and chosen for desirable characteristics such as disease resistance. The seeds of hybrid plants are usually sterile or not true to type.
Open-pollinated – Plant type that produces stable seed characteristics from generation to generation.
Organic – Seeds produced using organic gardening methods.
SELF-FRUITFUL: Fruit trees that do not require pollination from a different variety of trees.
SELF-WATERING CONTAINERS: Containers with a water reservoir and wicking system that, when kept full, allow for a consistent source of moisture for plants. Self-watering containers are helpful if you cannot water your containers daily for plants that need a consistent moisture level, such as tomatoes, and in hot climates where containers dry out quickly.
SHADE: Areas of the yard and garden that do not receive direct sunlight.
SHADE CLOTH: Reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches plants. You can use it to extend the season, reduce temperature, or protect newly-planted seedlings. Shade cloth comes in different coverages. A percentage of 40-60% shade cloth is suitable for vegetables during the summer when temperatures are consistently above 100°F. Read more in this blog post.
Gardening Glossary: Practical Gardening Terms and Definitions (cont.)
SOIL FOOD WEB:All the life (seen and mostly unseen) happening in healthy soil. Minerals, oxygen, and organic matter with microorganisms, earthworms, beetles, and more. Bacteria and fungi coexist in a life cycle with nematodes, protozoa, and micro-anthropods.
SOIL PH: A measure of soil acidity or alkalinity. It is measured on a scale from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline). Most plants grow best when soil pH is between 5.5 and 7.5. A pH of 7 is considered neutral. Each plant has a preferred pH range. The pH level affects which nutrients are available to the plant in the soil.
SOIL TEST: An analysis of a soil sample, usually to determine the nutrient levels and pH. Read more in this blog post.
SQUARE FOOT GARDENING: An intensive gardening method based on planting in one-foot grids. Depending on the fruit, flower, herb, or vegetable size, a certain number of seeds or transplants are planted in each square. Learn more in this blog post.
STAKING: Supporting a plant or tree with poles, twine, or other mechanisms.
SUCCESSION PLANTING: The practice of staggering plantings throughout the growing season to ensure a continual harvest, rather than harvesting all at once.
TENDER: Plants that do not tolerate cold temperatures.
TERMINAL BUD: The central point on a plant where the new growth originates. Leave the terminal bud in place when harvesting outer leaves (cut-and-come-again method). Cutting off the terminal bud often results in branching below the cut.
THINNING:
The removal of some plants to make room for the remaining plants to have enough soil, sunlight, water, and airflow to grow well. Thinning often occurs once plants have two sets of true leaves.
Removing excess fruit from fruit trees to allow the remaining fruit to grow larger or prevent limb breakage and damage.
A pruning cut that removes a branch or stem to the point of attachment on another branch or the base of the stem.
TRELLIS: Vertical structure that provides support to growing plants. Read more in this blog post.
TRANSPIRATION: The process of plants breathing in water from the soil through their roots and out through their leaves.
TRANSPLANT: A young plant somewhat past the seedling stage, also called starts. Transplants usually have several sets of true leaves. Also, the process of moving a plant from one location to a different location. Read more in this blog post.
USDA PLANTING ZONE: System developed as a guide for planting and gardening. The United States is divided into thirteen zones by the lowest annual temperatures. A plant’s “hardiness zone” is the lowest USDA zone it can withstand without dying during cold temperatures. See also HARDINESS ZONE.
Gardening Glossary: Practical Gardening Terms and Definitions
VERMICOMPOSTING:Worm composting – also called vermicomposting (‘vermi’ = worm) – is the process of using worms to compost food scraps into vermicompost. Read more in this blog post.
VERMICULITE: A common ingredient in potting soil. It is made from a mica rock. Vermiculite absorbs water, makes the soil loose and friable, and adds potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Vermiculite retains more moisture than perlite.
VERNALIZATION:Period of time where seed or plant is exposed to cold temperatures in nature or artificially to induce to initiate or accelerate the flowering process. See also CHILL HOURS.
VERTICAL GARDENING: Growing plants vertically up structures rather than allowing the plant to sprawl along the ground. Vertical gardening allows more sunlight and air to reach the plant, which helps the plant be more productive. Read more in this blog post.
VINING PLANT: A plant that produces climbing or trailing stems from a central point or several points. Vines often require support or a trellis. Read more in this blog post.
WARM-SEASON CROPS:Vegetables, herbs, or flowers that thrive during warmer months and do not tolerate cold or frost.
WOODY: A plant with hardened stems or trunks. In contrast with herbaceous plants, which have soft stems.
WORM CASTINGS:Worms eat up to half their weight daily in kitchen scraps, and worm castings are the byproduct of all that eating. During digestion, the worms secrete chemicals that break organic matter into nutrition readily available to plants. Worm castings and the chemicals secreted during digestion make up vermicompost. Buy them here.
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I’M CELEBRATING New Year’s in the company of a rare bird and the flowers of the first of the witch hazels, neither of which is supposed to be here right now.
