Tag Archive for: indoor gardening

Growing Joy with Maria Blog: Monstera 101

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With its glossy leaves and signature holes, Monstera deliciosa (a.k.a. the Swiss Cheese plant), has become the latest Instagram celebrity. Named after the Latin word “monstrous,” these plants’ leaves can grow up to two feet wide! The Monstera is popular among plant parents looking to create an urban jungle in their homes, and despite appearances, aren’t that tricky to care for.

This blog is inspired by Episode 33 of Growing Joy with Maria Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Scott Cain, owner of @tropicaloco on Instagram, to discuss how to keep your Monstera happy and healthy.

Caring for Your Monstera

Light

Monsteras thrive in bright, indirect sunlight. Place your Monstera 1-3 feet away from an east-facing or west-facing window where it will receive bright, indirect light throughout the day. Avoid south-facing windows as they can provide harsh, direct sunlight that will scorch the leaves. If your Monstera sits in direct light, keep a close watch to make sure leaves do not burn.

Water

Monstera is a tropical plant that prefers evenly moist (but not soggy) soil. Allow 1-2 inches of the topsoil to dry out between waterings, checking with your finger to be sure there is no residual moisture. According to Scott, it’s better to under-water these plants than over-water them. For assistance in the perfect balance, use an organic potting soil like Espoma Organic Potting Mix to help retain moisture.

Fertilizer

During the growing season, use a diluted liquid fertilizer to help encourage new growth. Look for options made for tropical foliage plants, such as Espoma Organic Indoor Plant Food!

 

Cleaning

Over time, Monstera leaves can gather dust that blocks their ability to photosynthesize. Every 1-2 weeks, gently wipe both sides with a damp cloth or paper towel to remove dust. For an occasional, deeper clean, move the plant to a kitchen or bathroom for a gentle shower. Be sure it dries fully before returning to bright light to avoid sunburn.

Support

While not always needed, providing a moss pole or other support structure can help train your Monstera’s growth vertically. If aerial roots form, gently tuck them into the moss pole or back into the soil to ensure they do not lose nutrients. For the best moss pole, keep it slightly moist.

 

Fixing Common Monstera Problems

If your Monstera leaves start to change colors or droop, pinpoint the problem with this troubleshooting guide by Scott:

  • Drooping or yellowing leaves: Normally a sign of overwatering. Allow soil to dry out more between waterings.
  • Brown leaf tips: Indicates too much sun, overwatering, or just old leaves. Remove the entire leaf by cutting at the base of the stem.
  • Small new leaves: If your plant’s new growth is smaller than other leaves, it needs more sunlight. Move it closer to a window.
  • Wilting: Both too little and too much water can make the leaves wilt. Check soil moisture by sticking your finger in it before watering to ensure you are watering at the right times.

By observing your plant’s needs and making adjustments accordingly, you can get your Monstera back to its healthy, happy self. Patience and attentiveness are always key!

 

Different Types of Monstera Plants

There are around 50 species in the Monstera genus, though the types you’re most likely to find for sale include:

Monstera deliciosa: The classic swiss cheese plant, known for its big, heart-shaped leaves. In the wild, it can produce edible fruit.

Monstera adansonii: Also referred to as the swiss cheese vine, due to its smaller oval leaves and growth like a vine.

Monstera borsigiana: Sometimes confused with deliciosa, it has flexible leaves without the ruffled part where they attach to the stems.

Monstera obliqua: Very rare as houseplants. It has lacy leaves with lots of holes and thin leaf strands.

Monstera variegata: A Monstera variety with white variegation on the leaves. Variegated Monstera need more light than non-variegated Monstera.

Caring for your Monstera is simple as long as you stay aware of the right growing conditions. Their interesting shapes and detailed leaves make them gorgeous to plant parents and visitors alike.

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Planting a Succulent Head with Garden Answer

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Looking for a unique way to display your succulents? Let Laura from Garden Answer show you how! Head over to the greenhouse with her as she plants a beautiful succulent arrangement in a head-shaped planter.

For the perfect growing medium, Laura trusts Espoma Organic Cactus Mix. She also recommends feeding her succulents with Espoma Organic Cactus! liquid plant food. This special blend is packed with natural proteins, kelp extracts, humic acids, and a unique combination of beneficial microbes, ensuring your succulents thrive.

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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VIDEO: Plant Tips – Repotting a Root-Bound Hoya with Summer Rayne Oakes

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Join Summer Rayne Oakes from Homestead Brooklyn as she shares her top tips for rescuing a root-bound Hoya plant.

What’s Summer’s secret? A special blend of Espoma Organic Orchid Mix, Cactus Mix, and Perlite.

Summer feeds her plant with Espoma Organic Grow! Grow! liquid plant food has a  balanced 2-2-2 fertilizer analysis which is beneficial for replanting. It has a rich blend of natural proteins enhanced with kelp extracts, humic acids, and beneficial microbes to provide the nutrients your plants need to flourish.

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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Growing Joy with Maria Podcast Episode 177 – The Evolution of Plant Parenthood

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All plant parents know that our interest in plants ebbs and flows over time, evolving with us through the different seasons of life. Tune in to Growing Joy with Maria’s podcast as she talks with several other plant parents about their journeys!

Listen to the full episode and learn more here: The Evolution of Plant Parenthood Episode 177

Catch up on all the latest episodes here: Growing Joy with Plants Podcast

Learn more from Growing Joy with Maria here:

Website: https://growingjoywithmaria.com/podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BloomandGrowRadio/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growingjoywithmaria/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bloomandgrowradio

 

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Growing Joy with Maria Blog: Culinary Meds From Our Garden

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Spending time gardening is so much more than just a hobby—it provides immense benefits for both your physical and mental health. Gardening allows you to connect with nature, get your hands in the soil, and relax outdoors. Plus, when you grow your own fruits, herbs, and vegetables, you can maximize the nutritional value of what you eat.

This blog is inspired by Episode 131 of Growing Joy with Maria Podcast, where host Maria Failla talks about how to get the most nutrition from your home garden with Dr. John La Puma, culinary and eco-medicine expert.

 

Extracting Nutrition from Common Garden Herbs & Alliums

It’s a common misconception that fresh herbs straight from your garden are more beneficial than dried herbs. Both are delicious and contain different nutritional profiles!

Fresh herbs like basil, oregano, and mint contain more vitamins, while drying herbs increases their concentration of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. For maximum benefit, Dr. La Puma recommends using both fresh and dried herbs in your cooking.

Try traditional practices like adding dried herbs early in the cooking process to allow the flavors to blend, then sprinkle fresh herbs in at the end for a nice finish. To help your herb garden thrive, Espoma Organic Garden Tone is a great fertilizer that provides balanced nutrition.

Looking for even more anti-inflammatory benefits from your garden? Alliums are powerhouses. Garlic, onions, leeks, and chives contain a compound called quercetin that fights inflammation. Eating alliums raw or lightly cooked gives you the most quercetin. Try sprinkling some snipped chives into your scrambled eggs in the morning for some added benefits!

 

Health Benefits of Cruciferous Veggies

Cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower are very nutritious and great for detoxification, but cooking them can diminish some of their beneficial effects.

Dr. La Puma shared a simple trick—before cooking your cruciferous vegetables, shred some (a tablespoon or two) while still raw, and put it aside. After cooking, add the shredded raw veggies back into the dish. This helps to reactivate the enzymes that aid detoxification.

 

From Leaf to Root: Creative Ways to Use Leafy Greens and Root Veggies

Leafy greens like arugula are very nutritious. Arugula adds a peppery punch to dishes, so try whipping up some arugula pesto or tossing it over salads and sandwiches.

 

 

If you find your garden lacking in leafy greens, it may help to look where you least expect it—like your root vegetable harvest! Root vegetables like sweet potatoes are incredibly versatile, and their leaves are packed with nutrition. Treat sweet potato leaves like spinach. Simply steam or sauté them briefly as you would other hearty greens

Sweet potatoes themselves are also extra nutritious due to their vibrant color. For maximum nutrition and flavor, it is recommended to roast them whole and unpeeled at high heat. The skin contains valuable vitamins, adds texture to any dish, and you can toss it with some oil and spices like rosemary before cooking.

Discovering Your Comfort Nature

In addition to culinary medicine, Dr. La Puma’s latest work focuses on “comfort nature”—finding places in nature that you find particularly relaxing and restorative. He explains that just as we each have personal comfort foods, we also have unique comfort spaces in nature. This could be the beach, the woods, a pond, garden, or anywhere outdoors that makes you feel peaceful.

Connecting with nature provides profound benefits for both mental and physical well-being. If you can’t easily access your ideal nature space, bring elements of the outdoors in through natural light, nature sounds, and houseplants. Espoma Organic Potting Mix is a great way to give your plants healthy and nourishing soil. Houseplants are especially known to improve our well-being.

Additional Tips for Culinary Medicine at Home

Dr. La Puma shared several other useful culinary medicine tips:

  • Brighten up dishes with visible garnishes of spices like cardamom and za’atar. Their flavors provide a burst of nutrients.
  • Soak raw onions in apple cider vinegar to remove harsh, spicy edges.
  • Pickled raw onions are delicious in salads and on burgers. The vinegar marinade counts as raw, so you get maximum nutrition.
  • Easy herb plants for windowsill gardens include rosemary, thyme, and mint.
  • Lettuce varieties like arugula and spinach grow well alongside cruciferous veggies like kale.

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The benefits of gardening and preparing delicious meals with your fresh-picked produce are immense. You can reduce stress, immerse yourself in nature’s beauty, and fill your body with vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds. So start growing your own healing garden to connect with the earth and enrich your health. And don’t forget to enjoy the journey because gardening and cooking should be creative, inspiring, and fun!

 

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Growing Joy with Maria Podcast Episode 30 Blog: Orchid Care Basics

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Orchids have long captivated plant parents with their beautiful flowers and unique growth habits. Despite what others commonly think, taking care of them is not as difficult as their reputation implies. With the right knowledge and approach, you can bring the beauty of orchids right into your home.

This blog is inspired by Episode 30 of Growing Joy with Maria Podcast, where host Maria Failla talks about orchid care with Chris Satch, the NYC Plant Doctor and educator for the New York Botanical Garden.

What is an Orchid?

Botanically, orchids are plants that have a unified column, which is a unique reproductive structure that unites the orchid family. They can adapt to different environments, but most of them do love the tropics—which is why you can find them on every continent except Antarctica.

Orchid Care Basics

Let’s get into the basics of taking care of them:

  • Light requirements: Orchids love bright, indirect light. Placing them near an east or west-facing window where they receive filtered sunlight is ideal.

 

  • Temperature & humidity: Orchids thrive in moderate temperatures, so it’s ideal to maintain them within the range of 60°F to 80°F during the day, with slightly cooler temperatures at night. They also love higher humidity levels!

 

  • Watering: Orchids have different moisture requirements, depending on the species and growing conditions. As a general rule, water your orchids when the soil is almost dry but not completely dried out.

 

  • Potting mix: Avoid planting orchids in regular potting soil. They need a well-draining mix that mimics their natural environment. Sphagnum moss, orchid bark mix, or a combination of the two are typically used to provide moisture control for orchid roots. Use Espoma Organics Orchid Mix, which is a blend of organic materials that ensures proper drainage while retaining essential moisture.

 

Common Orchid Types

  • Phalaenopsis: A popular choice for beginners, with elegant and long-lasting flowers.

Pink Orchid

  • Cattleya: If you’re a collector, you’ll love these orchids. They have vibrant and fragrant blooms but prefer brighter light and slightly cooler temperatures.

Pink and orange Cattleya flower, orchidaceae family

  • Vanda: Known for their striking, colorful flowers and aerial root growth. They like high humidity and bright, indirect light.

Pink, red and yellow flowers

  • Encyclia: These charming, unique flower forms are known for their toughness and ability to adapt to different conditions. 

 

 

Fertilizer: To Use or Not to Use?

Fertilizing orchids during their active growth periods is beneficial for the beautiful blooms associated with them. A balanced orchid fertilizer like Espoma Organic Orchid! A bloom booster that will do wonders—just make sure not to overdo it! Too much can build up salts and harm the roots.

Myth Busting: Ice Cubes & Level of Difficulty

Myth 1: Ice Cubes are Good for Orchids 

Myth! Putting ice cubes on the soil can actually harm your orchid. It’s best to water them thoroughly and let any excess water drain out of the pot. You want to avoid letting the roots sit in standing water.

Myth 2: Orchids are Difficult to Care For

Partially a myth. Here’s the truth: some can be tricky, but most of the orchids you’ll find in stores are specifically selected to be tough and adaptable to indoor conditions. In fact, orchids are often described as plants that like “benign neglect.” You can leave them alone for a while, and they’ll still thrive!

Troubleshooting Orchid Problems

Q: Why is my orchid not blooming?

A: If your orchid isn’t blooming, it might need more light or consistent temperatures. 

Q: Why are my orchid leaves turning yellow?

A: If the leaves are turning yellow, you could be overwatering or underwatering. And if you notice mushy or black roots, that might indicate root rot, which can be caused by too much water or poor drainage.

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It takes patience, attention, and a willingness to learn to take care of orchids. But it’s totally worth it! Add these plants to your collection, and enjoy their stunning flowers and captivating growth patterns for years to come. 

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Growing Joy with Maria Blog: Windowsill Gardening 101

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Are you interested in starting your own windowsill herb garden but have no outdoor space? In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know to create a thriving herb garden right on your windowsill.

This blog is inspired by Episode 22 of Growing Joy with Maria Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Marianne Garceau, the Associate Director of the Garden Shop at the New York Botanical Garden, to share her expertise on best practices for setting up and maintaining a windowsill herb garden.

 

How to Grow Herbs Indoors

Choosing the Right Window

The most important thing to consider when starting a windowsill herb garden is finding a window that receives at least six hours of sunlight per day. A southeast or southwest-facing window would be perfect for this.

If you don’t have a sunny window, you can always use artificial lighting (grow lights) to grow your herbs. This is a wonderful option for year-round growth.

Finding the Right Container

In order to grow successful herbs, you’ll need to choose the right container size. A 6-inch pot is recommended, but you’ll need to make sure your windowsill is wide enough to accommodate it. Check to see if your pot has a hole in the bottom to allow water to drain out; this is important since herbs don’t like “wet feet,” meaning they don’t like excess water sitting at the bottom of the pot.

Potting Mix

Optimal potting mix is crucial for your herb garden’s success. It’s best to use Espoma Organic Potting Mix to grow healthy herbs, as garden soil is too heavy for indoor planting. Its all-natural, organic composition promotes excellent drainage, ensuring your herbs won’t sit in excess water.

Caring for Your Herbs

Once you set your herbs up for success with high-quality potting mix and pots with drainage, it’s time to nurture them as they grow. Water them thoroughly, but not frequently. Avoid overwatering by allowing the top centimeter of the soil to dry out. The remaining soil should stay relatively moist without drying out fully.

Plant Pruning

Pruning is essential to achieving a bountiful harvest of herbs throughout the season. When you prune a plant, it triggers growth hormones that allow the plant to grow bushier and more full in shape. Make sure to only prune up to a third of the plant at one time. When snipping, cut right above the leaves to encourage new growth.

Harvesting Herbs

Herbs are best when fresh, so cut them right before you’re ready to use them, and apply the guidelines stated above. Never harvest more than one-third of the plant at a time.

Common Mistakes

The biggest mistake people make when caring for indoor herbs is overwatering or not allowing enough sunlight to reach the plants. Overwatering can lead to fungus gnats and yellow leaves, while lack of sunlight can cause the plant to stop growing or get leggy.

Recommended Herbs

An ideal choice for budding indoor gardeners is Mint. You can enjoy the delightful taste and scent of peppermint, spearmint, orange mint, pineapple mint, and even mojito mint. Mint is a fast grower and can be used in cocktails, salad dressings, and so many other recipes.

Newbie growers might also find joy in nurturing basil, the queen of the herb garden. As long as it has the light it needs, basil can flourish on a windowsill, and the scent is incredible!

Oregano is another great herb to grow indoors and can even serve as a cute trailing houseplant, adding a touch of green and dimension to your living space.

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Starting a windowsill herb garden is both an easy and enjoyable activity. Before long, your windowsills could become tiny farms, rich with nutritious greenery, personality, and—most importantly—future caprese salads! With sunlight, appropriate pots, regular maintenance, and the helpful addition of Espoma products, you’ll be harvesting fresh herbs in no time.

 

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VIDEO: Starting Onions from seed! ??☀️

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Have you ever wanted to grow your own onions?

Watch Laura @GardenAnswer with help from Espoma, as she shows you how to start her favorite onion varieties from seed.

 

Learn more about Garden Answer here:

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

https://www.gardenanswer.com/

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Video: How to grow and care for geraniums with Garden Answer!

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Watch as Laura from @GardenAnswer along with the help of Espoma Organic Seed Starter, takes you step by step through the process of planting and caring for multiple varieties of geraniums.

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

 

 

Learn more about Garden Answer here:

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

https://www.gardenanswer.com/

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VIDEO: Seed Starting for Spring with Kaleb Wyse!

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Seed starting is easy when you follow along with Wyse Guide! Bundle up your seeds this winter with Espoma Organic Seed Starter, and by the time it’s warm enough to put them outside, you’ll already have beautiful, strong root growth. Watch the full video below for a step-by-step introduction to spring your seeds into action! 

Learn more about Wyse Guide here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGrayBoxwood 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WyseGuide/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WyseGuide/ 

Website: https://www.wyseguide.com/ 

 

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