Plant care guides

Test the soil with a finger before you water. Dry soil needs water. Damp soil can wait. Wet soil needs a drainage check.

Water must leave the pot after you water. Check the holes, empty the saucer, and fix slow drainage before roots rot.

A plant with long, pale stems and big gaps between leaves needs more light. Learn how to move it, turn it and prune it.

Find out why house plant leaves turn yellow. One old leaf is normal. Many soft leaves with wet soil mean too much water.

Brown, dry leaf tips often come from dry air, salt build-up or uneven watering. Find your cause and fix it step by step.

A wilting plant with dry soil needs water. A wilting plant with wet soil has a root problem. Test the soil first, then act.

Check leaves and stems for spider mites, mealybugs, scale, fungus gnats and thrips. Isolate the plant, wipe, rinse and treat.

Wet soil, wilting and a bad smell can mean root rot. Learn how to check the roots, cut the rotten parts and repot.

Pale or brown dry patches on leaves that face the window can be sunburn. Move the plant back from strong sun and move it slowly.

Roots need air. Mix perlite, pumice, bark or coir into potting soil so water drains and roots breathe. Includes ratios by plant type.

Repot when roots fill the pot, when water runs straight through, or every 1 to 2 years. Pick a pot 2 to 5 cm wider and use fresh mix.

Use a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength in the growing season. Never feed dry soil or a sick plant. Learn the signs of too much.

A good indoor potting mix is light and airy. It holds water and drains well. Never use garden soil in pots.

Plants grow slowly in winter. Check the soil less often, do not feed, and keep plants away from heaters and cold windows.

Dry air browns leaf tips. Group plants, use a humidifier, and know that misting and pebble trays give little help.