When to Cut Back Iris Leaves (and How to Do It Without Losing Blooms)
Wondering when to cut back iris leaves? Learn the simple green-means-wait rule, the right fall cutting height, and how bearded, Siberian, Japanese, and Louisiana irises differ.
Plants
Why Your Hoya Isn’t Blooming: 5 Things to Get Right
A healthy hoya can grow for years without flowers. Fix these five common bloom blockers—light, maturity, watering, feeding and lost flower spurs.
The One Cut That Can Help Your Orchid Bloom Again
A healthy Phalaenopsis may rebloom from a green flower spike. Learn exactly where to cut, when to cut at the base instead, and how to care for the plant afterward.
Never Bring These 6 Plants Inside Without Checking for Pests
Before your favorite patio plants come indoors, inspect these six pest magnets for whiteflies, scale, mealybugs, spider mites, and other hitchhikers.
Why Christmas Cactus Stems Turn Limp—and What to Check First
Limp Christmas cactus stems can signal dry soil or root trouble. Start with this quick check, then fix drainage, light, temperature, or pests.
11 Perennials You Can Cut Back Hard in September
These 11 perennials can handle a hard September cutback—if you wait for the right cue. Here is exactly when and how low to cut each one.
Why I Cut My Pepper Plants Back Hard Before Winter
Hard pruning turns a sprawling pepper plant into a compact framework that is easier to inspect, store, and keep alive indoors until spring.
10 Bulbs You Can Plant This Fall for a Garden Full of Color Next Spring
Spring color starts in fall…. While the garden is winding down, spring-flowering bulbs are waiting in garden centers, ready to disappear underground and return when winter finally loosens its grip. …
Grow Your Own Fresh Ginger at Home From One Grocery-Store Root
Ginger is easy to grow, incredibly useful, and one of the most satisfying plants to start at home. You don’t need a large garden. You don’t need special equipment. In …
15 Natural Ways to Keep Deer Out of Your Fall Garden
Fall is a wonderful time to grow cool-season crops such as kale, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and herbs. Unfortunately, deer enjoy many of these same plants. As temperatures drop, …