Plants · 5 min read
Poinsettia cuttings: why water doesn’t work
In water they rot, and the white latex they ooze when cut is to blame. In compost they do root, but timing matters more than technique: it isn’t December.
Plants · 6 min read
Cat-safe houseplants
Most lists lump together a plant that gives your cat a sore mouth for a while and one that can kill it in two days. What’s an emergency and what’s just a rough time.
Plants · 3 min read
Propagating plants in water: free new plants, no mystery
Propagating a plant sounds like advanced gardening, but lots of houseplants root on their own when you pop a stem in water. No compost, no hormones, no special skill: a glass, some light and a little patience.
Plants · 2 min read
Keeping your plants alive while you’re on holiday
Before you go, the instinct is to water them to the brim. That’s exactly what not to do: too much water rots the roots faster than drought. The trick isn’t giving them more, it’s helping them lose less.
Plants · 4 min read
Plants that cool the room: silent air conditioning
It isn’t magic, it’s transpiration: plants release water vapour through their leaves, and that draws heat from the air around them. One pot barely registers, but a group of plants together creates a cooler, more humid little microclimate.
Plants · 4 min read
12 hardy houseplants that survive even if you forget about them
Twelve plants that cope with neglect, low light and erratic watering. How much water and light each one needs, in a table to check whenever you’re not sure.
Plants · 4 min read
The 3 plants that survive even if you forget about them
Never had green fingers? Start here. Snake plant, pothos and aloe vera are the trio most often recommended for beginners: they cope with neglect, low light and erratic watering better than almost anything else.
Plants · 3 min read
Do plants really clean the air in your home?
The NASA study is real, but it was done in sealed chambers. A later review worked out that a home would need hundreds of plants per square metre to notice any difference. What actually clears the air, and why plants are still worth having.
Plants · 4 min read
Aloe vera: the no-fuss guide
Aloe vera needs direct or very bright light to grow well, and warmth: between 18°C and 25°C, and nothing below 10°C.
Plants · 3 min read
Spider plant: the plant that hands out babies
One of the most rewarding plants there is: it grows fast, forgives a fair bit of neglect and, in time, produces little babies you can pot up and give away.
Plants · 3 min read
The finger trick: when to water (and when not to)
The number one killer of houseplants isn’t neglect, it’s too much love: overwatering. And you carry a free moisture meter everywhere: your finger. Push it two centimetres into the soil. Damp? Don’t water. Dry? Water.
Plants · 3 min read
Peace lily: the perfect plant for the bathroom
One of the few houseplants that loves exactly what a bathroom offers: high humidity, soft light and a steady temperature. And it tells you clearly when it needs water.
Plants · 4 min read
Kitchen herbs: plants you can eat too
Parsley, basil, mint or chives on the kitchen windowsill are the perfect way into plants: they grow fast, you notice when you use them and they combine two good habits in one.