The Happy Houseplanter

Aerogarden 2022 Review

2022-02-14T16:53:30Z

I received an AeroGarden Harvest 6-pod system for Christmas and was delighted. It’s something I’ve always wanted but honestly did not want to spend money on. So, it was the perfect thing to receive as a gift. Here is my AeroGarden 2022 review.

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Chinese Money Plant Basics

2021-02-26T18:05:51Z

The Chinese Money Plant (pilea peperomioides), a popular easy care house plant got its nickname from its coin-like leaves. Its tolerance for a variety of lighting conditions and minimal care make it a good beginner houseplant. Pilea are known for growing “pup” plants that you can give away to friends, spreading your plant love. Chinese Money Plant Care Basics Pilea will tolerate a variety of lighting situations but do best in bright indirect light. Avoid putting it in direct sunlight so you don’t burn the leaves. My pilea is thriving slightly outside of the bright indirect light – it gets medium indirect light from sunrise to sunset from a east-facing sliding door. Pilea actively reach for the light, so it’s best to rotate your Chinese Money Plant every few weeks to avoid it all growing in one direction. Do not overwater your pilea. Waiting until the top inch of soil is dry or even until the plant is slightly droopy to water is fine. Overwatering can cause root issues and leaf drop. If you notice water spots on those signature coin-shaped leaves you may try watering from below. Place the bottom of the pot in a tray of water and let […]

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Nerve Plant Care

2019-09-11T14:02:24Z

The nerve plant is a great beginner plant. Nerve plant care couldn’t be simpler. Once you have a handle on the basics, you can prune your plant and propagate clippings for yourself or to give away. Nerve Plant Care Basics Nerve plants (fittonia) are native to the rain forests of South America where they grow as ground cover. The nerve plant is a low maintenance houseplant with a natural tendency to spread, which makes it an easy and attractive choice for indoor container gardens. Since it thrives in the rain forest under a canopy of other foliage, it prefers both high humidity and indirect filtered bright light. Keep your nerve plant well watered and sit it on a tray of pea gravel and water. If you under water it you will find that the whole plant wilts and droops. If you over water, the leaves will turn yellow and the roots will rot. Some people grow this plant in a terrarium for maximum humidity. Despite their rainforest origins, nerve plants do well in the typical range of temperatures found in a home. However if exposed to extreme cold they may begin dropping leaves. To prevent this, avoid placing your plant […]

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Grow Lights for Indoor Plants – Top 5

2019-08-06T23:01:14Z

I’ve had a lot of luck with low light house plants, but what if I could grow succulents like string of pearls, or flowering plants like violets or hibiscus indoors? A key ingredient to that experiment will likely be supplemental light from grow lights for indoor plants. There are several factors to consider when choosing a grow light such as what kind of light you want with what kind of bulb. Also do you want bulb to encourage growth or flowering? Or do you want to cover both with a full-spectrum bulb? Grow lights for indoor plants: fixture, lamp or bulb Grow lights come in many shapes and sizes. You can purchase large hanging fixtures for starting seeds in the spring. Or if you have a smaller space, a table lamp version may be the right choice for you. Maybe you already have a fixture and want a replacement grow bulbs. Type of grow light bulbs There are several types of grow light bulbs available as part of fixtures, lamps or for use in existing lamps: Incandescent: Inexpensive, but put off a good deal of heat. You have to be careful to place these at the right distance from your […]

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Best House Plants for Low Light

2019-07-17T14:09:46Z

What are the best house plants for low light? I have one bay window in my house that is plant heaven. Plants love this window. They thrive on the sill. This window is eastern facing and gets a lot of indirect light all day long. However, I realized that a lot of the other surfaces in my house where I can place plants have low light. I found a few indoor plants that are doing well in these corners of my home, but I wanted to know what else to look for as I add to my indoor jungle. Bright Light, Indirect Light, and Low Light for Indoor Plants First a word on light. Does my house have low light? Bright light? What exactly is indirect bright sunlight? You can find me in a plant nursery, staring at a plant tag trying to figure out if my house has the right light for it. Most information on sunlight in a home is broken down by which direction your windows face. A southern facing window is supposed have the most bright direct light during the day. However the southern facing windows in my house face my neighbor’s 2 story house, which […]

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Pothos – The Black Thumb’s Dream

2019-07-10T21:47:16Z

Pothos, some people call it “Devil’s Ivy”, is the quintessential houseplant. My aunt was the gardener of our family and filled our houses with plants. I remember her taking cuttings from her pothos and growing new plants in vases of water – roots snaking around the bottoms in a tangle, green variegated leaves spilling down the lip of the vase. I remember having pothos growing in a vase in my college rental house – a gift from her when she knew full well I was likely to neglect it. The Pothos I have today was originally a plant she gave me and had tried to train on her version of a trellis – an upside down wire hanger stuck into the pot. I didn’t always care for my houseplants the way I do now. Despite the neglect I gave this plant in the past, it has survived – a testament to its hardiness. If you have a black thumb or are new to houseplants and want an easy win, a pothos is a great choice. With a little (very little) effort my pothos has gone beyond surviving to thriving and I’ve even propagated cuttings and started new pothos plants. Here’s […]

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Fungus Gnats in Potted House Plants – Get rid of them!

2021-03-16T23:51:16Z

What is a fungus gnat you ask? A few weeks ago I was watering one of my plants and noticed that it was swarming with flying bugs. What the heck? Gross. Every time I moved a leaf, what seemed like dozens of bugs would fly up out of the plant. Fruit flies, I thought, and put out a dish of apple cider vinegar covered with plastic wrap poked with holes. Works every time. Except this time, I checked back the next day and there were no fruit flies. After some Googling I realized I wasn’t dealing with fruit flies, these bugs were fungus gnats. Do fungus gnats bite? Will fungus gnats kill my plant? Fungus gnats are bugs that resemble tiny flies. To me they look like fruit flies or miniature mosquitoes. They basically spot some moist soil, get busy with each other, lay their eggs in there and next thing you know – you’re living in a version of the Birds but in miniature. From my research, fungus gnats do NOT bite and they likely will NOT kill your plant. They are more of a nuisance. Their larvae may eat the roots of your plant, stunting it or causing […]

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Best Indoor House Plants

2019-08-12T14:53:10Z

I’ve noticed more and more people are posting pictures of their indoor house plants. Stores l frequent are suddenly carrying macrame plant hangers, and (artificial) succulents! (Don’t even get me started on the nation’s current succulent obsession.) Well, I like plants! My aunt always had house plants when I was growing up and when I moved into my first apartment, she gave me some from her collection. As time went on, she continued to gift them to me, and I continued to kill them. I wanted to join this new wave of plant lovers and try again. After some months of trial and error, I’ve turned my black thumb green and want to share info about my top 5 best indoor house plants. Top 5 Best Indoor Plants Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) My jade plant started out as a little guy – a cutting from my aunt’s large jade plant. It’s since grown into a behemoth. I’ve actually learned to propagate it and gifted it to friends. From my original Jade plant I was able to propagate at least 6 other plants so far. The Jade plant is a succulent, but in my opinion, less finicky than other succulents I’ve […]

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