Many common houseplants, herbs, and garden shrubs can be effortlessly regrown from stem or leaf cuttings. Most simply require snipping a 4 to 6-inch healthy stem, removing the lower leaves, and placing it in water or moist potting soil until roots develop.
Yes, you can cut a plant and replant it. This process is called "propagation" and is an easy, free way to grow new plants. You take a healthy stem, encourage it to grow roots, and replant it.
Yes, plants actively lower cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. Both interacting with greenery and consuming specific plant-based supplements can trigger significant stress reduction.
This timing allows the plants to establish strong root systems during the cooler fall months without the stress of summer heat, while still giving them adequate time before winter dormancy. In zones 4-6, aim for late August through September, while zones 7-9 can safely transplant through October.
Many popular houseplants, herbs, and garden shrubs can be effortlessly propagated using stem or leaf cuttings. This simple method involves taking a snippet of an existing plant, placing it in water or moist soil, and allowing it to grow its own root system.
It is illegal to propagate some plants primarily to protect intellectual property (such as plant patents or trademarks), to prevent the spread of agricultural diseases, or to control invasive species.
Cut-and-come-again plants are varieties that produce multiple harvests from a single planting. Instead of pulling the entire plant by the roots, you harvest only the mature outer leaves or stems, allowing the tender center to keep growing.
But there are some plants – besides, of course, mature trees – that don't take so well to moving: baptisia with its long, snaking tap roots, peonies, which are often buried too deeply when transplanted, and milkweed, another taproot plant, to name a few.
Bill Gates argued against relying on planting trees as a primary solution to climate change, calling the idea "complete nonsense". He believes tree planting is insufficient, unproven at scale, and distraction from necessary technological solutions like direct air capture, arguing that emissions reduction requires fundamental industrial changes rather than relying on reforestation.
Hotter summers, extended droughts, and dry winds are becoming more common, and hydrangeas are paying the price. Gardeners from coast to coast report the same issues: leaves crisping and curling in early summer, stems wilting despite regular watering, and blossoms fading far too quickly.
The classic plant that universally says "I love you" is the Red Rose. However, if you are looking for long-lasting houseplants or specific symbolic meanings in the Victorian language of flowers, there are several wonderful alternatives to express your deepest affections.
Plants help reduce anxiety by improving indoor air quality, releasing calming aromas, and promoting a meditative connection with nature. The act of plant care itself actively lowers stress levels. Key choices include:
Research has shown that English Ivy can eliminate up to 78% of airborne mold within 12 hours. This makes it particularly useful in humid areas like bathrooms and basements where mold growth is more common.
Take hardwood cuttings of plants such as roses, Cornus, Cotinus and Forsythia. Check softwood and semi-ripe cuttings taken earlier in the season, which may need potting on if well rooted.
One of the most common mistakes when repotting is choosing a pot that is too small or too large. If the pot is too small, the roots don't have enough room to grow. A pot that is too large, on the other hand, increases the risk of waterlogging, as the roots won't initially fill the entire pot.
Cuttings create new plants simply by, well, cutting off parts of existing plants. Many plants are amenable to creating cuttings. I'll use the word propagation as well, which simply means "creating new plants (with roots) from cuttings". To begin the cutting process, choose a leafy plant you have in your home.
Here are some of the most beautiful trees in the world.
Yes, Elon Musk believes climate change is real, but he has downplayed its immediate urgency in recent years.
A 9,000-year-old tree is typically a clonal tree, where a single ancient root system continuously sprouts new trunks over millennia.
"Poor man's fertilizer" is a traditional gardening term for snow.
Certain plants should never be planted together because they compete for the same nutrients, attract the same pests, or release chemicals that stunt each other's growth. The most notable incompatible pairs include tomatoes and potatoes, onions and beans, and fennel with almost any vegetable.
Flowers that come back every year without replanting are called perennials. Once established, they regrow from their roots, bulbs, or tubers each season, returning dependably without needing to be resown.
Potatoes, onions, and tomatoes should never be refrigerated because the cold breaks down their starches, flavors, and textures, turning them sweet, mushy, or mealy. For best quality, store these items in a cool, dry, dark, and well-ventilated area rather than the fridge.
You can grow and harvest several fast-maturing vegetables in 30 days or less. These are mostly leafy greens and quick-rooting crops, ideal for early spring or fall planting.
It's too late to transplant perennials when the ground is frozen. Otherwise, transplanting as late in fall as possible is the best assurance for success. The later the better!