How to repot a houseplant without choosing a pot that is too big
Check whether a houseplant needs repotting, choose a modestly larger pot, and settle it into suitable potting mix with good drainage.
The how-to collection
Plants & gardening
Grow a little confidence, one leaf at a time.
27 step-by-step guides
How often should I water my houseplants?
Build a watering routine around the plant and potting mix instead of a fixed calendar. Check moisture, drain excess water, and notice changing conditions.
How to grow basil in a pot
Start a potted basil plant with warmth, suitable light, drainage, and a simple watering and harvesting routine.
How to clean dusty houseplant leaves
Gently clean dust from smooth houseplant leaves with a damp cloth, support delicate growth, and check for problems without adding shine products.
How to propagate basil cuttings in water
Turn a healthy basil shoot into a rooted plant, then move it into potting mix.
Seed-starting mix vs potting mix: what should you buy?
Compare seed-starting mix and container potting mix by texture, fertilizer content and intended use. Read the label before buying another bag.
How to mulch garden beds and trees without burying the plants
Choose mulch, estimate how much you need and spread a shallow layer while leaving trunks and plant crowns clear.
How to prune hydrangeas without cutting off next year’s flowers
Identify your hydrangea before pruning. Learn old-wood versus new-wood flowering, what to leave alone and how to make selective cuts.
How to trim hedges with a wider base and a neat top
Trim a reachable hedge evenly, preserve light to lower branches and choose shears or a trimmer for the plant and branch size.
How to care for and water a moth orchid
Water a Phalaenopsis orchid according to its potting medium, drainage and roots, with a simple selector for bark versus moss.
How to prune tomato plants without losing the crop
Identify suckers, distinguish determinate from indeterminate tomatoes and choose how much pruning your support system actually needs.
How to plant a pineapple top
Turn a healthy pineapple crown into a houseplant by cleaning the base, letting it dry and rooting it in a freely draining medium.
How to grow an avocado from a seed
Sprout an avocado pit in water, pot the rooted seedling and grow it as a houseplant without expecting a quick fruit harvest.
How to grow a peach tree from seed
Start a peach pit as a growing experiment using cold, moist stratification, then pot the seedling and plan for an unpredictable future tree.
How to grow onions for bulbs or green tops
Choose an onion suited to your day length, plant sets or transplants correctly and distinguish growing full bulbs from regrowing green tops.
How to prune roses for your rose type
Identify repeat-blooming, once-blooming and climbing roses before choosing what to cut, with practical guidance for a tidy, healthy framework.
How to plant a garlic clove
Choose planting garlic, orient cloves correctly and plan watering, weeds and harvest around your local climate.
How to plant potatoes from seed potatoes
Start with certified seed potatoes, plant the eyes correctly and hill developing plants to keep tubers protected from light.
How to grow asparagus from crowns
Choose a permanent asparagus bed, plant crowns with room for their roots and give new plants time to establish before harvesting.
How to grow tomatoes from transplants
Choose a tomato for your space, plant after cold weather passes and build a manageable watering and support routine.
How to plant sweet potato plants and slips
Plant sweet potato slips in warm soil, help the new roots establish and give vines room to produce an autumn root crop.
How to grow strawberries without burying the crown
Choose the right strawberry type, position the crown at soil level and manage flowers and runners for a healthier planting.
How to propagate pothos in water and move it to a pot
Find a pothos node, root a healthy cutting in water and pot it once roots develop. Avoid the leaf-only cutting mistake.
How to propagate a snake plant from leaf sections
Keep snake plant leaf sections upright, root them in an airy medium, and choose division if you want to preserve yellow edges.
How to propagate monstera from a stem cutting
Locate a monstera node, take a healthy cutting, root it in water and move it to potting mix. A leaf without a node cannot make a complete new plant.
How to care for a money tree indoors
Give a Pachira money tree bright indirect light, a draining pot and a moisture-based watering routine. Diagnose wet soil before adding fertilizer.
How to grow a banana plant in a container
Choose a manageable banana variety, give it sun and warmth, and plan winter protection before planting. Ornamental foliage does not guarantee fruit.