Cucumbers need warm soil to germinate. Find a spot with good light and well–draining soil.  Plant seeds in mounds about 1 inch deep. Give that little seed or container seedling lots of space, once they get growing, their vines really spread out to boost growth, feed the soil with dolomite lime, compost or Miracle-Gro® Shake ‘n Feed Tomato, Fruit & Vegetable Plant Food.

Cucumbers work well beside asparagus, beans, Brassicas, celery, corn, dill, kohlrabi, lettuce, onion, peas, radish, and tomatoes. Avoid potatoes and sage. Sunflowers and cornflowers make a beautiful natural trellis for cucumber vines to climb. Dill attracting beneficial predatory insects that eat pests. The nasturtium flower repels pests and is even thought to improve a cucumber’s taste. 

Harvest time! Your cucumbers should be uniformly green, firm, and have a slightly rounded tip. They grow rapidly, so check them often. Be sure you don’t miss any under the leaves. Once they become yellow, bulbous or soft, they’re overripe. A little early is better than too late. 

What are these little white flies? They are literally Whiteflies. They drink sap and excrete a sticky ‘honeydew’ which also encourages mould. Use sticky traps or Ortho® Bug B Gon® ECO Insecticidal Soap  to keep your cucumbers healthy. Another common pest is the cucumber beetle. These little guys can be found on your seedlings, just as they’re starting to grow up. If you don’t catch these beetles soon enough, their larvae will feed on the plant and kill it. Cucumber beetles also spread bacteria and viruses when they move from plant to plant. To get rid of these little pests, try using sticky traps. You could also knock the beetles off your plant and catch them in a little piece of cardboard or a small jug.  

Probably Cutworms. Check the soil for gray grubs about 1/2 inch (1 cm). They love to eat stems, roots, and leaves. Protect your vines with a 3 inch paper collar around the base. You can also sprinkle wood ash around the base. It helps to keep your garden weed free. 

Needs water. Does your Pothos look wilted and droopy? Do those normally perky heart-shaeped leaves feel thinner? Your poor Pothos is crying out for a drink. Instead of doing one giant dump of water, water a little once per day for three days. You want the soil pleasantly moist, not super soggy. Your Pothos should bounce back in just a few days.

Likely Aphids. Look for teeny-tiny oval, and yellowish– green pear-shaped insects, clustering under the leaves. They excrete a sticky waste called honeydew (far too pleasant a name) which turns into black powdery mold. Treat with insecticidal soap. 

Sounds like Southern corn rootworm. They’re the larval form of the spotted cucumber beetle. Turn over the soil in your garden to interrupt this pest’s destructive life cycle. 

It’s a fungus called Powdery Mildew. It forms white spots on the leaves or even the stems. Left un-checked it can turn the leaves yellow or even brown. Lack of airflow is the cause, so do what you can to clear around your plants. Remove infected leaves. To fight the mildew, your garden centre will have a spray containing sulfur. 

It’s a plant sex thing. A cucumber’s first flowers are male, followed by female flowers. Only the female flowers produce cucumbers, so you may just need to wait a bit, until the female flowers get pollinated. If there aren’t enough pollinators (like bees) in your area, you can plant flowers in your garden to attract them. Or, be the bee! Pick some male flowers and dust their pollen on the female flowers. 

Cucumbers need warm soil to germinate. Find a spot with good light and well–draining soil.  Plant seeds in mounds about 1 inch deep. Give that little seed or container seedling lots of space, once they get growing, their vines really spread out to boost growth, feed the soil with dolomite lime, compost or Miracle-Gro® Shake ‘n Feed Tomato, Fruit & Vegetable Plant Food.

Cucumbers work well beside asparagus, beans, Brassicas, celery, corn, dill, kohlrabi, lettuce, onion, peas, radish, and tomatoes. Avoid potatoes and sage. Sunflowers and cornflowers make a beautiful natural trellis for cucumber vines to climb. Dill attracting beneficial predatory insects that eat pests. The nasturtium flower repels pests and is even thought to improve a cucumber’s taste. 

Harvest time! Your cucumbers should be uniformly green, firm, and have a slightly rounded tip. They grow rapidly, so check them often. Be sure you don’t miss any under the leaves. Once they become yellow, bulbous or soft, they’re overripe. A little early is better than too late. 

What are these little white flies? They are literally Whiteflies. They drink sap and excrete a sticky ‘honeydew’ which also encourages mould. Use sticky traps or Ortho® Bug B Gon® ECO Insecticidal Soap  to keep your cucumbers healthy. Another common pest is the cucumber beetle. These little guys can be found on your seedlings, just as they’re starting to grow up. If you don’t catch these beetles soon enough, their larvae will feed on the plant and kill it. Cucumber beetles also spread bacteria and viruses when they move from plant to plant. To get rid of these little pests, try using sticky traps. You could also knock the beetles off your plant and catch them in a little piece of cardboard or a small jug.  

Probably Cutworms. Check the soil for gray grubs about 1/2 inch (1 cm). They love to eat stems, roots, and leaves. Protect your vines with a 3 inch paper collar around the base. You can also sprinkle wood ash around the base. It helps to keep your garden weed free. 

Needs water. Does your Pothos look wilted and droopy? Do those normally perky heart-shaeped leaves feel thinner? Your poor Pothos is crying out for a drink. Instead of doing one giant dump of water, water a little once per day for three days. You want the soil pleasantly moist, not super soggy. Your Pothos should bounce back in just a few days.

Likely Aphids. Look for teeny-tiny oval, and yellowish– green pear-shaped insects, clustering under the leaves. They excrete a sticky waste called honeydew (far too pleasant a name) which turns into black powdery mold. Treat with insecticidal soap. 

Sounds like Southern corn rootworm. They’re the larval form of the spotted cucumber beetle. Turn over the soil in your garden to interrupt this pest’s destructive life cycle. 

It’s a fungus called Powdery Mildew. It forms white spots on the leaves or even the stems. Left un-checked it can turn the leaves yellow or even brown. Lack of airflow is the cause, so do what you can to clear around your plants. Remove infected leaves. To fight the mildew, your garden centre will have a spray containing sulfur. 

It’s a plant sex thing. A cucumber’s first flowers are male, followed by female flowers. Only the female flowers produce cucumbers, so you may just need to wait a bit, until the female flowers get pollinated. If there aren’t enough pollinators (like bees) in your area, you can plant flowers in your garden to attract them. Or, be the bee! Pick some male flowers and dust their pollen on the female flowers. 

This plant likes a light, well-draining soil like Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm and Succulent Potting Mix. Or add some potting sand or perlite to regular potting soil. Your pot must have good drainage and don’t let Pilea sit in water. If you see water collecting in the drainage tray, dump it. 

Repot every 1 to 2 years in the Spring, especially with younger plants. Increase pot by 2 inches every time. If dealing with a more mature, fully grown plant you can just replace the top few inches of soil. 

So easy, because Pilea is self-propagating. It creates tiny offshoots also known as ‘pups’. You can leave them on the plant, or create a new one. Wait until your Pilea pup is at least a few inches tall. Gently dig under the pup and cut (or gently pull) the plant free, ensuring you get roots. Put the pup in some water to grow stronger roots, or plant directly in soil. You have a new mini Pilea that makes a perfect gift! 

Pileas are bug resistant, but pests are still possible. Inspect under the leaves when doing your regular dusting & cleaning. Check out our Pest control section in Plant 101 for how to identify and deal with pests on your plant! 

Light and water are incorrect. If the leaves are curled inwards, your Pilea is probably dehydrated. It’s not getting enough water, or it’s getting too much sun. On the flipside, If the leaves are curled outwards it’s probably too much water or not enough light. Check your soil before watering and ensure the top two inches of soil are dry before watering. Time between watering varies by plant and how much light they’re getting.  

Where are they yellowing? If only the bottom leaves are yellowing and dropping, there’s no problem. That’s normal Pilea behaviour. But If the whole plant is yellowing, you’re probably overwatering. When doing your watering routine, make sure the top 1 to 2 inches of soil are dry before watering. 

Rotate your plant! Pilea’s love to grow towards the sun. This can cause them to become one side heavy or grow unevenly. You should remember to turn your plant every time you water to allow the plant to grow evenly.  

Overwatering, too little time between watering. Mold (and even mushrooms) growing on your soil is not a direct threat. But it IS a sign of overwatering. Root rot can follow if not addressed. Water less frequently and make sure you let the top two inches of soil fully dry before watering. Ensure you have proper drainage. If things look really moldy, you can remove the top inch or so of soil. 

Powdery mildew. Like mold, this isn’t dangerous, but it makes your precious Pilea less pretty! So it’s got to go. Bad air circulation is usually the cause. Remove affected leaves and move your plant somewhere with better air circulation.

Use a light, well-draining potting soil like Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm and Succulent Potting Mix. Or, use regular potting soil and add some potting sand or perlite. A layer of sand on the top will help prevent rot. Ensure the pot has good drainage and aloe should never sit in water. Empty drainage trays if you see water collecting.

Every 3-4 years in the spring. Especially when they’re small and growing. Increase pot diameter by 2 inches each time, and refresh the top few inches of soil. Growing too fast? You can slow the growth by trimming the roots. 

Aloe self-propagates. It will make baby offshoots (also called ‘pups’). Leave pups on the main plant or, pot as a separate plant! Wait until the pup is at least 2” tall, then dig under the pup and find the roots at the base. Gently tug or trim the roots, they are key to the pup’s survival. You now have a new plant baby! See Soil + Potting above for planting instructions. 

Aloe is prone to scale insects on the leaves. See our Pest control section in Plant 101 for how to identify and deal with pests on your plant! 

Variety of reasons. It could be too much summer sun, overwatering, or roots damage. 

First, try moving your plant to a spot with less direct sunlight (but still bright). Reduce watering. If your little aloe buddy doesn’t recover check the roots for damage.  

Probably overwatering. Caught early, this problem is easily corrected. Water at soil level and avoid spilling water on the leaves, cuz the pooling water can cause rot. Two inches of sand on top of the soil will help with drainage. Reduce watering and allow plant to dry out completely between watering. Ensure your pot has a drainage hole to let excess water out. 

Other tricks: Poke holes in soil to get oxygen to the roots. Put a damp pot (with drainage holes) in a tray or dry soil, to suck up that extra moisture. Check the roots and remove any that have root rot. Consider repotting with new soil if things are a damp mess. For more information check out our Plant 101 section. 

Overwatering or not enough light. Is the entire plant turning pale or yellow? It needs more light. Move to a brighter spot, watch out for soil dampness and avoid over watering. 

Your plant needs a drink. But don’t overdo it! Give it a small amount and also mist the leaves. Do this three days in a row. The leaves should rebound, getting nice and plump. 

 Not enough light. If your aloe isn’t growing, or the new growth is pale in colour, it’s crying out for more light. Most houseplants don’t like direct sun, but this desert-born baby likes it! A little direct sun every day is good, especially in darker winter months. Find a brighter spot and get growing.