The Citrus Care Mistakes We Make (& What to Do Instead)

If your love of plants and indoor gardening has allowed you to graduate from the much-loved ZZ or a mini plot of herbs, you might just be ready to take on a citrus tree. Flowering, fruit-bearing, and lusciously green, they contribute more than just a p…

If your love of plants and indoor gardening has allowed you to graduate from the much-loved ZZ or a mini plot of herbs, you might just be ready to take on a citrus tree. Flowering, fruit-bearing, and lusciously green, they contribute more than just a pop of color to a space. But whether you’re a beginner or a pro plant parent, keeping a citrus tree alive and thriving takes a little effort.

To help you get started off on the right foot, we turned to experts for their insight on everything to do with caring for a citrus tree. Turns out, there’s a bit more to it than meets the eye. Here’s what we learned.

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The Vital Gardening Practice You Might Be Forgetting

A manicured yard with a picture-perfect lawn, mulched flower beds, and precision-trimmed shrubs and trees is a question of taste. For wildlife and native insects in search of food and shelter, however, it is anything but beneficial. Not removing fallen…

A manicured yard with a picture-perfect lawn, mulched flower beds, and precision-trimmed shrubs and trees is a question of taste. For wildlife and native insects in search of food and shelter, however, it is anything but beneficial. Not removing fallen leaves below trees, especially oaks, supports numerous beneficial arthropods, fungi, and bacteria that are essential for decomposition. Dried dead flower stalks provide nesting space for insects, and not removing the seed heads of flowers, such as the coneflower Echinacea, provides birds with food.

When it comes to edibles, on the other hand—your vegetable garden, berries, melons, and other small fruit, as well as fruit trees—keeping everything neat and tidy is not merely just for looks, it’s outright essential.

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Your Backyard Might Have Toxic Plants—Here’s What to Look For

Unfortunately (and unbeknownst to some), there are certain plants in your backyard that might harm you. We’re not talking about the obvious ones, either, like unwelcome intruders such as poison ivy or poison oak, but ornamentals that were planted by yo…

Unfortunately (and unbeknownst to some), there are certain plants in your backyard that might harm you. We’re not talking about the obvious ones, either, like unwelcome intruders such as poison ivy or poison oak, but ornamentals that were planted by yourself or the previous owners.

Plants can be toxic to humans, or pets, or both. A plant may be poisonous or toxic when touched or ingested, sometimes leading to severe illness and death. The concentration of the toxin can be mainly in the roots, leaves, flowers, or fruit, or the entire plant might be toxic.

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How to Care for Your Plants in a Heat Wave

It probably comes as no surprise that extreme summer heat is tough on plants. Because water is a precious and limited resource, we cannot rely solely on watering alone. Here are a few other things to give your plants extra TLC during a heat wave:

It probably comes as no surprise that extreme summer heat is tough on plants. Because water is a precious and limited resource, we cannot rely solely on watering alone. Here are a few other things to give your plants extra TLC during a heat wave:

1. Prioritize Your Watering

In addition to picking the right timing for watering, the most important thing is to prioritize your watering. Your vegetables and container plants should get first dibs, because even a couple of sweltering hot days without watering can wreak havoc on them. Next are annual flowers, and any newly planted perennials, shrubs, and trees. Drip-watering and soaker hoses are ideal, but if you must use a hose or a watering can, make sure to water slowly and always water directly onto the base of the plant.

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Our 6 Favorite Places to Buy Plants Online

Whether you’re new to caring for houseplants, or you’re already living in an indoor jungle, ordering plants online can be a super convenient way to acquire new plant babies. However, as with any online shopping endeavor, it’s important to make sure you…

Whether you’re new to caring for houseplants, or you’re already living in an indoor jungle, ordering plants online can be a super convenient way to acquire new plant babies. However, as with any online shopping endeavor, it’s important to make sure you’re purchasing from reputable sellers, especially when you can’t see the actual plant you’ll be receiving before you buy it.

Reputable retailers will know how to ensure that your new plants will survive the trip (that means good packaging), they won’t ship plants that are infested with bugs or disease, they’ll have a history of happy customers with good reviews, and they’ll be transparent about what you can expect when you purchase from them. Here are six of our favorite places to order plants online—pros and cons included.

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Your Garden Might Not Be As Organic As You Think—Here’s Why

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, the green-and-white USDA Organic label tells you that the produce was grown without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or biotechnology—at least that is what it’s supposed to because organic farming has had its …

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, the green-and-white USDA Organic label tells you that the produce was grown without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or biotechnology—at least that is what it’s supposed to because organic farming has had its fair share of scams and scandals. As a committed locavore, I prefer produce from a local farm that I trust practices organic growing methods rather than supermarket produce—even if it has the USDA organic label. Often, small commercial growers simply cannot afford the lengthy process of getting organically certified.

For home gardeners, there are pollinator and wildlife certification programs such as Certified Wildlife Habitat that let you put a sign in your yard for the world to see, but there’s no equivalent certification for organic home gardens. So how do you know the veggies you are growing would pass the organic litmus test? Here’s a checklist to see if you can call yourself an organic gardener.

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The Best Plants for Every Balcony, Fire Escape, or Windowsill

There’s no magic size to turn a balcony into a lush miniature oasis. Even a space that’s too small to fit a table can be used to grow a variety of plants, if, that is, you keep a few important things in mind.

Firstly, be aware of your microclimate. Th…

There’s no magic size to turn a balcony into a lush miniature oasis. Even a space that’s too small to fit a table can be used to grow a variety of plants, if, that is, you keep a few important things in mind.

Firstly, be aware of your microclimate. This is the rather small (or, micro, ha!) climate of the area you’re planting in, as opposed to the climate of your larger region. For example, the higher you’re up in a building, the more your plants are exposed to wind, which not only damages plants but also dries them out—something to consider when picking more delicate plant varieties. Similarly, you’ll need to determine how much sunlight your balcony gets and select plants that need full sun, can withstand partial shade, or need shade.

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Seeds vs. Plants: A Buying Guide for Vegetable Gardeners

Vibrant, marbled pineapple tomatoes; adorable Easter Egg radishes without a single crack, unblemished rainbow Swiss chard leaves: looking at the images of vegetables in seed catalogs can be inspirational but also disappointing because you know that non…

Vibrant, marbled pineapple tomatoes; adorable Easter Egg radishes without a single crack, unblemished rainbow Swiss chard leaves: looking at the images of vegetables in seed catalogs can be inspirational but also disappointing because you know that none of your homegrown veggies will ever look like this. The kaleidoscope of those images is an effective tactic, though: it makes you buy more seeds than you need. It also makes you buy seeds for vegetables that you’re probably better off buying as seedlings.

While I have been gardening for almost two decades now, I’m still not immune to those temptations. But following a set of clear criteria–what to grow from seed and what to buy as seedings, and in what quantity—has helped me become a much more realistic shopper for my vegetable garden.

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23 Gift Ideas for the Plant Lovers in Your Life

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

If you need to give a gift but you’re not sure of the recipient’s inte…

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

If you need to give a gift but you’re not sure of the recipient’s interests, a plant—or something plant-related—is often a safe bet. After all, who doesn’t love to bring a bit of greenery into their space?

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12 Plants That’ll Thrive in Your Tiny Bathroom

Plants are kind of like the ultimate finishing touch in a room. They add life, movement, and greenery to a space that might otherwise feel a little flat. Not only that, but plants help to purify the air we breathe, and they’re something living to care …

Plants are kind of like the ultimate finishing touch in a room. They add life, movement, and greenery to a space that might otherwise feel a little flat. Not only that, but plants help to purify the air we breathe, and they’re something living to care for, with minimal time involved. A bird of paradise makes a living room stately, a trailing pothos brings a kitchen to life, and a snake plant completes any nightstand. But what about the bathroom? Can plants survive in there, too?

Well, the short answer is: it depends. All plants need light, even the low light ones. This means if your bathroom has absolutely no natural light, you probably can’t keep a plant in there permanently. The good news? All your plant needs is a bit of rotating out into a room with sun, and then back into the bathroom to spruce the place up. If your bathroom does get lots of light, though, then you’re lucky! You’ve pretty much got the pick of the litter (the garden?) when it comes to decorating with living art.

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