Plant care

Windowless bathroom plants: the guide

Can you have plants in a bathroom with no windows? Yes, as long as you provide artificial light and choose hardy species that tolerate shade and thrive in humidity, such...

When should you cut off a damaged leaf?

When should you cut off a damaged leaf? As soon as a leaf is mostly brown, yellow, or dead, you can remove it: it will never turn green again and...

Sticky leaves: honeydew and pests

Des feuilles collantes sont presque toujours le signe de nuisibles suceurs de sève : pucerons, cochenilles ou cochenilles farineuses, qui rejettent une substance sucrée appelée miellat. La parade tient en...

Quarantining a New Plant: The Guide

Quarantining a new plant means isolating it from the rest of your collection for about two to four weeks, giving you time to spot any pests before they spread. The...

When should you fertilize your houseplants?

Fertilize houseplants only when they are actively growing—that is, from spring to late summer—and stop in autumn and winter. The rule fits in one sentence: feed your plants during the...

Root rot: causes and how to save the plant

Root rot is almost always caused by too much water: soggy potting soil suffocates the roots and allows fungi to attack them. The solution can be summed up in one...

Lower Leaves Turning Yellow: Causes and Solutions

When the lower leaves of a plant turn yellow, three causes are the most common: natural aging, overwatering, and nitrogen deficiency. The good news: it’s usually nothing serious. The rule...

Dry Air and Heating: Protecting Your Plants in ...

In winter, heating dries out the air in our homes and takes a toll on tropical plants: brown leaf tips, wilting foliage, and slower growth. The solution can be summed...

A Grandma’s Remedy for Gnats: What Works

Cinnamon, vinegar, matches, coffee grounds: grandma’s remedies for fungus gnats are everywhere online, and it’s tempting to try everything when flies are buzzing around your plants. Some methods really do...

Why do I have gnats in my plants?

You take good care of your plants, yet little flies appear above the pots. Why? The answer almost always comes down to one word: moisture. According to the RHS (Royal...

Gnat trap: which one to choose and how to use it

Fungus gnats are buzzing around your plant pots, and you’re looking for an effective trap to get rid of them? Good idea for reducing the number of adults, but you...

Thrips on Monstera and Houseplants: A Guide

Is your Monstera developing silvery-gray patches and tiny black specks? These are most likely thrips. The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) specifically lists Monstera, Ficus and Dracaena among the palm thrips’...

Thrips: how to identify them and get rid of the...

Leaves developing a silvery sheen, tiny black specks, and sometimes slender little bugs that dart away as soon as you get close: thrips are here. Discreet but persistent, they weaken...

Increase the humidity for tropical plants

To increase humidity around your tropical plants, the gold standard is a humidifier, complemented by grouping your plants together; pebble trays and misting, on the other hand, have only a...

Rainwater: Watering and Benefits for Your Plants

Watering with rainwater gives your plants soft, slightly acidic water with no chlorine: exactly what sensitive tropical plants need. The rule fits in one sentence: clean rainwater for delicate plants,...

Mealybugs: Effective Natural Treatments

Mealybugs are treated above all with a precise, repeated action: apply 70% alcohol to the cottony clusters, isolate the plant, and continue treatment for several weeks. The rule fits in...