When you grow plants from seeds, they may be attacked by a fungus known as “damping off.” You can cut down the chances of this by using sterilized starting mix, but if they are attacked, you’ll need to throw away the plants that have been attacked. Otherwise, it may spread to the healthy plants.

Leaf mold is another common ailment of houseplants. If your plants get it, remove the leaves that have been affected. If this doesn’t work, you’ll have to throw out the whole plant, or other plants will get it. In fact, this guideline should be followed no matter what disease or pest infestation your plant gets. If it is badly infected, the wisest choice is to throw away the whole plant. They are very difficult to cure, and you risk infecting your other plants.

With some plants, you’ll understandably have a hard time following this rule. Especially if you’ve had the plant for a long time, it can be a difficult choice. However, it is the best thing to do if you want to keep the rest of your plants healthy.

If one of your favorite plants gets a mild case of blight or infestation, it may be possible to save it, but it will take a lot of work on your part. You’ll need to remove it from its usual location, and keep it in a spot far away from your other plants during the time it is healing.

There are five major types of insects that attack houseplants. Aphids are small green or brown insects that can be found on the underside of the leaves. They can sometimes be hard to see because they blend in with the leaves. First, try a good hard spray of water to get rid of them. If this doesn’t work, you’ll have to resort to an insecticide if you really want to save the plant. You’ll need to spray your plant several times with the insecticide, because it only works if the spray comes into direct contact with the insect. Once you’re done, spray the plant with water to remove the insecticide.

Mealybugs are another common houseplant pest. A small white insect, they are usually found either underneath the leaves, or on the stems. Spraying with water usually does not get rid of them, so instead use an insecticide. Then, pick off the remaining few by hand. Use a Q-tip dipped in alcohol to pry off the remaining mealybugs. Double check to make sure that they are all gone before you return the plant to its usual spot.

Scale insects vary in shape, and are usually dark brown or black. They usually do not move once affixing themselves to the plant. Most often, they are found on ferns, palms, citrus fruits, rubber plants, and ivy. The only effective way to get rid of them is to pick them off individually. Again, use a Q-tip dipped in alcohol to remove the pests.

Red spiders are very tiny, and often the first sign is a web woven in the joint of a stem and leaf. They can be washed off with a strong spray of water, but you should also treat the plant with an insecticide to be sure they won’t come back.

White flies are tiny and moth-like, usually found on Geraniums and similar plants Because they will fly off if you try to spray the plant, they are hard to get rid of. Try spraying the plant with an insecticide several times per week.

One of the benefits of living green is it can extend your lifespan. This may be surprising, but it is very true. There are many things that not only help the earth, but they help you, too! Eating fresh organic foods, cutting down on driving, and many other things will help you live greener, longer!

By eating healthy, organic foods you are not only helping your body by giving it fresh food, you are saving the earth from being contaminated by pesticides. Organic meats help by keeping the environment free of antibiotics and growth hormones. Plus you’re avoiding all those nasty things from going inside of you! By eating fresh, organic foods, you are avoiding all the processed foods that do a better job of clogging your arteries than they do of providing nutrition.

Try to drive less. By combining your errands, you not only save fuel and reduce the traffic on the roads; you are giving yourself less stress from dealing with traffic jams and other drivers. Carpool or use public transit when you can. If you choose to ride a bike or walk for some of your errands, you also get needed exercise. This will help keep your heart healthy and keep you limber and toned.

Composting your food scraps can save you money in garbage waste and provide you with great soil next season for your own garden. It also keeps a lot of good stuff out of the landfills. Just keep adding your fruit and vegetable wastes, egg shells, coffee grounds, and grains to the compost pile. You can add your raked leaves and lawn clippings as well. Don’t add meat or bones… they will attract insects like flies and will take longer to compost. Water the compost down once in awhile to get the enzymes activated. Come spring, you’ll have some nice compost soil to add to your own vegetable garden for more healthy eating.

Other things you can do will just make your home more comfortable. Larger windows can help let in more natural light so you don’t need to turn your lights on early. Using compact fluorescent bulbs can save you money and will save energy. Use energy-efficient appliances and don’t leave your air conditioner on when you’re not at home. You’ll be amazed at how much this impacts your energy usage.

Small things like recycling cans, bottles and plastic packaging helps lower your garbage bills and helps reduce your carbon footprint. Use cloth bags when you shop instead of taking their paper or plastic bags. Some stores even knock off a few cents when you use your own bags. All of this will help reduce pollution, which is healthier for you because you’ll be breathing cleaner air.

Contrary to popular opinion, it is easy to be green and even easier too go green. It saves you money while doing something good for the environment. Before you know it, living green will be second nature and you’ll be looking for ways to add some more green living to your lifestyle.

You may see the large commercial greenhouses and think how difficult it must be to tend to all those plants on a year round basis. What you dont know is that many of the day to day happenings are automated and that makes things a lot easier. That same type of automation can also be found in some backyard greenhouses as well. This means its easier for you to grow your favorite plants year round.

There are several things that can help you make the experience of greenhouse gardening both exciting and fun. Growing your favorite flowers and vegetables will keep you engaged and experimenting with some new things keeps your mind fresh and looking for something new that keeps you going and growing.

Unless you know exactly what you want and are an experienced gardener, start with a basic greenhouse. Its all you will need to grow your favorite flowers and vegetables with overwhelming yourself right out of the box. Basic is not a matter of size but a matter of what you want to grow and the space available to you.

If you are building your greenhouse, be especially careful with where you are building it and the size as it will be much harder to move than a greenhouse kit that you could buy. Also leave adequate room for your other garden activities in the spring and summer and make sure there is adequate light for all the plants in and out of your greenhouse.

This is exactly how basic a greenhouse is; glass or plastic stretched on a frame. Thats it. The glass or plastic lets the sunlight in as it protects your delicate plants from the elements outside. The materials or kit you decide on will be determined by the amount of money you are able to put toward your greenhouse.

If you are serious about year round greenhouse gardening you will want to invest in a heater so make sure you have this in your budget. Heaters are a must when the weather turns cold to help insure success. A couple of other items you may want to plan for include wire rack shelving for potted plants and storage and rods for hanging baskets. Plans to keep your greenhouse neat and tidy will also help you be successful.

Just because you may live in an apartment, does not mean you cannot enjoy the beauty of houseplants. While the prospect of lawn care is removed, this does not mean you have to restrict yourself to plastic plants. There are several beautiful varieties available and your options are limitless.

Consider the environment of the room you would like to enhance. This will help you decide where to place your plants. Perhaps your bathroom could use some sprucing up! Because this is the most humid room in the house, you have to consider which type of plants will thrive in this atmosphere. There are plenty of places besides the kitchen window sill, where you can put plants to beautify your home.

You may even consider using dried, silk or artificial flowers in place of live plants, in your garden. Dried roses, lavender, african violet flowers, or babies breath will look absolutely stunning tied in a bow and placed in various location. The advantages of using dried flowers or herbs is that they are fragrant and last for a long time; not to mention that you do not need any care instructions guide just to have them last for a long time.

You could even use one of your rooms specifically as a greenhouse. This area would be designated as your indoor gardening space. It should be a room with large windows or perhaps you could use a balcony, if you have one. Adding overstuffed chairs, fluffy pillows and soothing colors will make this room a favorite all year round.

Many people who live in apartments, find creative ways to garden indoors. They have herb gardens, that are commonly located on a window sill in the kitchen. This makes them easily accessible for you when cooking. You can buy herb seeds in a kit or you can go to your local garden center and get the seeds and some decorative pots. Herbs provide a variety of wonderful aromas and grow in strong sunlight. Just think of how good your food will taste with fresh herbs added.

The addition of trees to your landscaping will bring so much life! Trees are essential for shade, cleansing the air, providing wildlife habitat, increase property value and make memories.

If your yard is devoid of trees at this time, then you may want to consider adding some. Research has shown that having trees and landscaping also increase the value of your property. Even if you are not thinking of selling your property, trees can add years of enjoyment. If you have existing trees in your yard, you need to check and make sure they are healthy. If they are old or show signs of deterioration, you may need to plant new trees that can become established once the old ones are removed.

When planting trees it is important to consider the location. Trees can help reduce your electric bill. If you plant a tree on the southwest side of your home, it will cool the house off in the summer, this helps reduce energy costs. Once the leaves begin falling, the winter sun can warm your home on a cold day. Ever green trees can be planted as a breaker, thus further reducing your energy bill.

How new tree help reduce your energy bill

Have you ever thought of ways to reduce greenhouse gases and global warming? You can plant trees to help. One gas that causes the most issues is carbon dioxide. Trees and plants take carbon dioxide out of the air and use it for photosynthesis. The carbon is then stored in the wood and living tree tissues. When leaves fall off the trees and get composted, carbon dioxide is added back to the soil. This improves soil quality for plants and more of the carbon is stored in the organic soil matter. Carbon can be stored in the wood of trees for a long period of time, in the tree trunks or in furniture, or other products made of wood. When you plant new trees, you help to reduce levels of greenhouse gases.

Planting trees also gives food and shelter to a wide variety of animals. You can hang bird feeders in your trees to entice birds to come into your yard. Flowering trees and shrubbery are where birds feel safe, build their nests and find food. Squirrels and other small animals also use trees for nesting purposes and as a food source. When choosing your trees, you may want to consider growing guide or some that will be a good food source for the local animals.

Trees can live for many years and provide enjoyment. Planting a tree and watching it grow will be a living testament to your families memories. You may want to plant a tree to honor a milestone in your families life. Raking leaves seems like a chore as we get older, but jumping and playing in the piles are great fun for children. You can hang a swing in a tree, build a tree house, or just sit under it and relax.