The Potting Mix serves as a nutrient-rich foundation for strong root development, while the Orchid Mix adds essential bark pieces for better aeration, mirroring the natural environment of Anthuriums. Perlite improves drainage and helps prevent root rot, making it perfect for these water-sensitive plants.

Get inspired by Summer’s approach to plant care and see how she transforms her Anthuriums’ new home.

Learn more about Summer Rayne Oakes here:

Website: homesteadbrooklyn.com

YouTube: @summerrayneoakes

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This blog is inspired by Episode 210 of Growing Joy with Maria Podcast, where host Maria Failla chatted with citrus expert Danny Trejo of Via Citrus to talk about how to choose citrus varieties, set up the right growing environment, and how to effectively care for them.

Popular Citrus Varieties for Indoors

Some of the best citrus trees for growing inside include:

• Calamansi – bears fruit year-round
• Key lime – small in stature like calamansi, perfect for containers
• Meyer lemon – a classic lemon variety that flowers beautifully indoors
• Kumquat – sweet edible fruits

You can also consider unique varieties like the Buddha’s Hand with its unique fruit, the thorny Australian finger lime, or fragrant yuzu. Blood oranges require lots of light but their antioxidant-rich fruit may be worth the effort.

Prepping for Your Citrus Tree

Before bringing home a new citrus plant, make sure that you have the proper growing conditions it requires. Citrus trees originate from subtropical climates and do best with 6-8 hours per day of direct sunlight, warm interior temperatures, and plenty of humidity. 

Have an appropriate sunny window or consider investing in a grow light like the Soltech Aspect LED Growlight. These lights can help your citrus tree grow well, and you can place them wherever you need to.

How to Grow Citrus Successfully

Citrus trees require deep yet infrequent watering. Use a well-draining soil like Espoma Organic Cactus Mix, which is designed not just for cactus, but also succulents, palms, and citrus. Wait until the top part of the soil is dry, and then water the tree a lot until water comes out from the bottom holes.

Place your citrus in terracotta to allow excess moisture to evaporate. Notably, Danny offers a range of pots crafted from recycled materials for this purpose.

Small adjustments to your citrus care can make all the difference, so observe them closely. Leaves that curl upward typically indicate underwatering while leaves that yellow or brown at the tips signal overwatering issues.

Feeding Your Citrus

Fertilize citrus plants during the active growing season. We recommend pairing Espoma Citrus-Tone with Espoma Bloom! liquid fertilizer when fertilizing indoor citrus. Bloom! is an effective option that ensures your citrus indoor plants receive the necessary nutrients without the risk of unpleasant smells. Slow or stop feeding over winter when trees enter a period of dormancy. 

Pruning and Pest Prevention

Prune citrus trees in early spring to remove any dead branches and shape them for better growth habits. Before you bring your citrus trees inside in the late fall, keep an eye out for tiny bugs like spider mites and aphids on them. Spray neem oil or insecticidal soap to prevent bringing pests indoors.

From Flower to Fruit

Don’t feel sad if your citrus has lots of blooms but only a portion of them form into actual fruit. Citrus decide how many fruits they can make depending on how much light and nutrients they get. So just enjoy the wonderful smell of citrus blooms!

Humidity for Healthy Citrus

Keep the air moist (40-60% humidity) for your citrus plants during dry winter when heaters are running. Using a humidifier can help keep the higher humidity during dry seasons. Even though citrus slows down in winter, don’t expose them to sudden temperature changes or drafts. 

Are You Ready to Grow Citrus?

Growing citrus indoors can be a rewarding experience for indoor gardeners. Observe them closely, make small adjustments, practice patience with fruiting times, and soon you’ll enjoy homegrown citrus for gourmet dishes and cocktails!

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When these problems with your houseplants happen, you have to act quickly. You can’t waste time searching for the right tools to fix them. That is why a DIY houseplant first aid kit is very important.

This blog is inspired by Episode 208 of Growing Joy with Maria Podcast, where host Maria Failla chatted with certified horticulturist Leslie Halleck to talk about the important items to include in your DIY houseplant first aid kit so you can effectively address plant problems as they arise.

Must-Have Products for Your Houseplant First Aid Kit

Horticultural Oils

Horticultural oils like neem oil, peppermint oil, etc. work to “smother” soft-bodied insects and fungal spores on contact. Some oils also help prevent future infestations.

Remember that when using these natural oils, pay attention to application instructions as some risk causing leaf burn if left on too long. 

Fungicides

Sometimes those annoying fungal leaf spots and powdery mildews just won’t quit. For these or other fungal issues, use a fungicide like copper soap or a bio-fungicide spray made from helpful soil bacteria.

These products can stop fungal diseases in their tracks and prevent their spread. For similar insect issues, some companies now offer bio-insecticides with ingredients like spinosad to repel pests.

Insecticidal Soap

Made from plant-based fats/oils, insecticidal soaps effectively gets rid of pests that have soft bodies by breaking down their protective coatings when it touches them.

The good thing is that it usually doesn’t harm most plants. If you need to spray or clean up pests from time to time, it’s a good idea to start with insecticidal soap first before resorting to stronger methods.

Systemic Pesticides

When all else fails, it’s time to bring out the final boss—systemics. Unlike other treatments, systemics are absorbed by the plant after application to the soil, causing any pest that feeds on it to ingest the poison.

But this should be used as a last resort due to toxicity concerns, especially if you have curious pets. Still, they’re very effective at managing pest issues.

Hydrogen Peroxide  

Best known for disinfecting human wounds, hydrogen peroxide eliminates pest larvae in potting soil and also increases oxygen flow to plant roots to aid struggling plants. Always dilute it first before applying.

Rooting Hormone 

When restoring a plant that has experienced root loss or damage, using powdered rooting hormone can help it grow back faster after being replanted. It’s also useful to have on standby for propagating cuttings!

Tools to Add to Your Houseplant First Aid Kit

Sticky Traps

Sticky traps can catch adult fungus gnats and other flying pests. Put these traps just above the soil level to keep tabs on potential infestations. 

But if you find a lot of pests stuck to the traps all at once, it’s a sign to do something about it.  While sticky traps alone won’t completely fix the pest problem, using them with soil treatments can help prevent more pests in the future.

Gloves

It’s important to shield your hands from irritation and chemicals with quality gloves. Leslie recommends these types of gloves when gardening:

• Nitrile gloves – protect hands and allow you to physically remove pests by squishing or rubbing them off of leaves.
• Cotton gloves – a softer option for gently cleaning leaves and polishing plants.
• Rubber/latex gloves – offer hand protection when working with oils and chemicals.

Scissors and Pruners

Invest in a pair of sharp scissors and pruners solely for your houseplants. Not only do clean cuts improve healing, but using kitchen scissors risks bringing diseases inside.

Repotting Mat

These portable silicone mats provide a temporary clean surface for potting and treating plants. They prevent spilled soil or plant debris from dirtying floors and easily hose or wipe off afterward. No mess, no stress!

Humidity Domes

Is your Calathea being a “diva” again and wanting more moisture? Consider creating a mini greenhouse effect by either using plastic wrap to cover the pots or by placing transparent domes over your plants. This extra humidity will help the wilting leaves become healthy again!

Grow Lights  

Supplementing natural light helps stressed plants recover faster. Compact LED grow lights provide therapeutic light when nursing plants back to health.

PAR Meter

Advanced plant parents invest in handheld PAR meters to precisely measure usable light reaching their plants.

Magnifying Glass

A small magnifying glass equipped with a built-in LED light lets you inspect plants close up for early pest detection. The sooner you spot those tiny insects or fungal spores, the quicker you can spring into action before major damage occurs!

Moisture Meter 

These secondary tools monitor moisture content in potting mixes. While somewhat unnecessary for experienced gardeners, soil probes help prevent underwatering/overwatering issues for new plant parents.

DIY Houseplant First Aid Kit Essentials—Assembled!

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Compile your basic houseplant products and tools into a houseplant first aid kit for indoor gardening emergencies. Store supplies in tackle boxes, label them clearly, and keep the kit easily accessible near your plants. Don’t wait until it’s too late; prepare your DIY houseplant care first aid kit today!

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3 Tips to Get GROWING! ?

1. Seeds!

Experiment with seeds! Yes, it may take longer, but it is incredibly rewarding and very cost-efficient. Plus you can start indoors with microgreens and level up to growing crops that can be transplanted (or succession planted) all throughout the growing season.

2. Lights!

Invest in grow lights. Not only will grow lights be valuable for your edible plants, but they also supplement the lighting for your houseplants during the darker winter months. Grow lights nowadays are very energy efficient and can blend in with most house lighting fixtures.

3. Check in!

Perform daily check-ins with your plants. This will allow you to be proactive and catch potential problems early and often. I do this for my indoor and outdoor plants (time permitting depending on the size of your garden) and it will save you lots of time and heartache in the future.

*****

Learn More about Farmer Nick here: 

Website: https://www.farmernick.com/

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For this task, Laura uses Espoma Organic Potting Soil Mix for her geraniums and Cactus Mix for the Kumquat tree, ensuring an optimal growing environment for her plants. To nourish and promote the growth of her green friends, she mixes in  Espoma Organic Flower-tone and Citrus-tone to provide the essential nutrients her plants need to flourish.

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Summer uses Espoma Organic Orchid Mix, Cactus Mix, and Horticultural Charcoal to create the ideal planting medium for her terrarium.

Learn more about Summer Rayne Oakes here:

Website: homesteadbrooklyn.com

YouTube: @summerrayneoakes

Facebook: facebook.com/homesteadbrooklyn

Instagram: instagram.com/homesteadbrooklyn

Twitter (X): twitter.com/sroakes

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Learn more about Summer Rayne Oakes here:

Website: homesteadbrooklyn.com

YouTube: @summerrayneoakes

Facebook: facebook.com/homesteadbrooklyn

Instagram: instagram.com/homesteadbrooklyn

Twitter (X): twitter.com/sroakes

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Laura feeds her indoor plants with Indoor! Espoma Organic liquid plant food.

Learn more about Garden Answer here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/gardenanswer 

https://www.gardenanswer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gardenanswer

https://www.instagram.com/gardenanswer/

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This blog is inspired by Episode 125 of Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Chris Satch of The NYC Plant Doctor.

Most Common Houseplant Palms

Palms are in the palm family, Arecaceae. One of the most common houseplant palms we see is the parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans).

Other common indoor palms include the fishtail palm (Caryota mitis).

and the areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens).

Indoor palms need filtered water and increased humidity.

Palms can unfortunately be quite finicky and a little more difficult than other houseplants. There are quite a few types of palms, but we will focus mostly on parlor palm care. 

Parlor palms do not like a lot of salts or hard water, because salts can damage the leaves and turn the tips black. 

Indoor palms also prefer more humid environments. Humidity and salt damage are both abiotic damage, which means they’re caused by a non-living thing and should affect the plant evenly and symmetrically. A trick for palm diagnosis is salt damage often looks black, while humidity damage is brown.

Watering Houseplant Palms

Because indoor palms are sensitive to salts, use distilled water or even better, rainwater. 

Watering palms can be very nuanced, because a palm is a thin-leafed plant and any plant with very thin leaves goes through water quickly. While you want the soil to dry out enough to prevent fungus gnats, you don’t want it to stay dry for long. 

A general watering rule for palms is to let the top centimeter of soil dry out, and then water again. Make sure they don’t get too dry between waterings.

Light Requirements for Houseplant Palms

The parlor palm is specifically sold as a low-light plant, but it really isn’t a low-light plant. Because palms are so slow growing, they need quite a bit of sun indoors. A bright, sunny window is a great spot for an indoor palm. 

Why Are My Palm Leaves Yellow?

If your new leaves are significantly paler than the rest, that’s an indication your palm needs more light. 

The Best Temperature for Houseplant Palms

Palms don’t like ambient cold temperatures and certainly don’t like cold drafts. First, indoor palms will stop growing if they get too cold. And once they do get warmer temperatures, they’ll actually wait to start growing to make sure their environment won’t get cold again. 

Houseplant palms really love warm, tropical “vibes” indoors so make sure your environment is around 65-80 degrees.

How Much Do You Fertilize Houseplant Palms? 

If you consider how palm trees grow outdoors, many of them grow in poor, sandy soils without many nutrients. To replicate that for indoor palms, they really don’t need to be fertilized often.

Try Espoma’s long lasting, slow release Palm-tone to ensure dark green leaves. 

Repotting Houseplant Palms

Indoor palms dislike their root mass being disturbed. When you do repot an indoor palm, try not to loosen the soil or disturb the root mass. Try to keep it as intact as possible. 

Pro tip: do not plant palms in terracotta pots. Not only does terracotta dry the plant out too much, but it also holds onto salts. Stick with plastic or sealed ceramic pots to set yourself up for success.

Houseplant Palm Pests

Indoor palms are also very susceptible to pests. Their thin leaves and clumped roots lend to many insects hiding in the foliage. Pests like spider mites, mealy bugs, scale, and aphids are all possible on indoor palms. 

To manage pests, take your palm outdoors for treatment when the weather is warm, if possible. Use a hose with a strong water blast to dislodge as many insects as possible. Use the force of the water to spray the undersides of the palm too, since many pests will cling to the bottom of the leaves. 

Don’t Get Discouraged!

If you decide to try and care for a palm indoors, know that this is not a beginner plant. You might need to try one or two varieties until you find the right fit. However, if you can get your palm in the right light with clean water, they can be a wonderful addition to your home as a WOW factor statement plant.

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About Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast

Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast helps people care for plants successfully and cultivate more joy in their lives. Host Maria Failla, a former plant killer turned happy plant lady, interviews experts on various aspects of plant care, and encourages listeners to not only care for plants, but learn to care for themselves along the way.

About Our Interviewee

Chris Satch is a professor at the New York Botanical Gardens and an expert in all botanical, horticultural, and plant-related topics. Often called The Plant Doctor, he has helped thousands of people with gardening or houseplant problems to achieve success.

With his M.S. in Plant Science from Rutgers University, and his vast experience doing plant research and working in the horticulture industry, he helps plant lovers find solutions for themselves and their businesses. 

​​Follow Chris:

Instagram: @botanictonic | @nycplantdoctor

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Parlor Palm Care article

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​​Aroids have always been fascinating with their different leaf shapes, structures, and textures, so it’s no surprise that this set of plants are blooming into popularity. In this blog we discuss five popular and unique aroids to add to your collection. This blog is definitely geared towards you curious-collector plant parent types out there, so let’s dive in!

What Are Aroids? 

Aroids are in the family Araceae, which includes many common houseplants like philodendrons, anthuriums, monsteras, ZZ plants, and pothos. Many of these are “moderate light” plants indoors, mimicking their natural growing conditions as understory plants outdoors. To learn more about aroids check out our blog, “What’s An Aroid?”

Why Are Aroids So Popular? 

Aroids grow well indoors, which helps their popularity because plant parents can grow them easily. They are surprisingly hardy and difficult to kill. Most aroids are also easy to propagate and share with other plant lovers. They come in many different forms too: big round leaves that give you a tropical look, skinny leaves, and three-inch tall all the way up to three-feet tall aroids. 

Now that you’ve learned a bit about aroids, let’s jump into 5 unique aroids that would be great additions to any plant collection. 

5 Popular & Unique Aroids

Unique Aroid #1: Philodendron tortum 

Philodendron tortum has long, skinny leaflets that look similar to a fern and prefers to climb. New growth emerges like a corkscrew and plants can grow about 18 inches to two-feet tall. It’s a fascinating philodendron that adds interesting textures to your collection. 

Being pretty easy to care for, Philodendron tortum doesn’t create much drama or stress. It prefers indoor light conditions at mid-range to bright light with well-draining soil. 

Unique Aroid #2: Philodendron bernardopazzii

Next up is Philodendron bernardopazzii with its glossy green leaves and lighter veins down the center. Long, narrow leaves can grow up to three feet in a large enough environment, and form a slender heart shape. The stems also have a bit of red in them. 

Philodendron bernardopazzii is another aroid that’s easy to care for. Give it something to climb for support and it will be even happier. It prefers mid-range to bright light and well-draining soil. 

Unique Aroid #3: Anthurium veitchii

Anthurium veitchii has a long leaf that’s corrugated with ribs all the way down its heart shape. Leaves are about eight-inches wide and can grow up to five-feet long in a beautiful shade of green.

Its care can be slightly more difficult than the previous two aroids. It needs more humidity than philodendrons and better placement. Because it can grow long, try growing Anthurium veitchii in a hanging basket or on top of a pedestal. It can get by on a little less light than the above philodendrons, but still prefers medium light. Make sure you plant it in well draining soil. 

Unique Aroid #4: Anthurium ‘Selby’s Silver’

Anthurium ‘Selby’s Silver’ is named in honor of Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida. This aroid can grow in much smaller pots with its small, clumping leaves. It stays relatively normal in size with leaves about three-inches long. Its new leaves are reddish, so you’re likely to have all different color leaves growing at the same time.

Anthurium ‘Selby’s Silver’ is another that’s a bit more delicate than a philodendron. Opt for a well-draining soil like our Organic Potting Soil Mix combined with our Organic Charcoal to add even better drainage. These aroids prefer a decent amount of humidity and medium light as well. 

Unique Aroid #5: Philodendron distantilobum

And finally we have Philodendron distantilobum. This climbing aroid has a similar leaf shape to  Philodendron tortum, but much wider. New growth also has the corkscrew curl as well. Provide some extra support for this climber, since it attaches to structures as it grows. 

Similar to the other philodendrons, medium to bright light and well draining soil is preferred. 

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Want to know more about aroids and unique houseplants? Check out Enid Offolter’s new book, Welcome to the Jungle: Rare Tropical Houseplants to Collect, Grow, and Love. 

About Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast

Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast helps people care for plants successfully and cultivate more joy in their lives. Host Maria Failla, a former plant killer turned happy plant lady, interviews experts on various aspects of plant care, and encourages listeners to not only care for plants, but learn to care for themselves along the way.

About Our Interviewee

NSE Tropicals is well known for its large selection of hard-to-find anthuriums, philodendrons, and other unusual plants. Their online store is dedicated to bringing the odd, unusual, rare, exotic or seemingly unattainable to fellow collectors. 

Enid Offolter of NSE Tropicals just released her new book, Welcome to the Jungle: Rare Tropical Houseplants to Collect, Grow, and Love. This book is all about unusual aroids and how to care for them. It profiles 50 plants that aren’t so common in the plant trade and you certainly won’t find at big box stores. 

​​Follow Enid & NSE Tropicals:

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