Latest news with #houseplants
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
$3 Bunnings hack to keep your plants watered while you're away
It can be quite depressing returning home from a long holiday and discovering that your plants haven't exactly thrived while you've been away. Unless you organised a house sitter or planned for someone to take care of them in your absence, chances are you probably just gave your plants some extra water before you left and hoped for the best. Aussie mum and professional homemaker Sophie Webb recently shared a video on Instagram showcasing her 'hack' for keeping your plants watered while you're away. She created an 'easy drip system' by filling a ziplock bag with water, using a toothpick to poke a tiny hole in it, and placing it in her pot to let the water slowly drip out. RELATED: $3.49 Bunnings product professional cleaner swears by: 'Quickly and easily' Laundry expert weighs in on divisive washing hack: 'Will reduce time' $7 Aussie-made Bunnings product cleaner uses all over the house: 'Incredible' While Sophie's followers praised the 'brilliant idea' and said they can't wait to try it out, Sydney Plant Guy Jan Gettmann tells Yahoo Lifestyle he wouldn't recommend it. 'The idea in itself isn't bad, but the execution is terrible,' he shares. 'There needs to be some sort of valve or mechanism that controls the flow of water. The bag is just going to empty pretty quickly, causing your plant to sit in too much water, which will lead to root rot.' Jan explains that one of the best methods to keep your plants healthy while you're away is to install self-watering spikes that slowly release water over a period of time, and can be purchased on Amazon and at Bunnings. The hardware store sells an Indoor Drip Spike Twin Pack for $3.12, which allows you to simply attach a water bottle to create your own self-watering planter. 'The key aspect here is that you want to be able to control how much water is released and how long the release of water takes. This ensures consistent moisture levels and avoids overwatering and root rot,' he details. 'My understanding is that you can regulate how fast it drips via the little dial, and you can control how much water you use by choosing an appropriately sized bottle.' Although Jan is yet to try the Bunnings product himself, he's currently experimenting with different brands and encourages others to do the same before going away. 'Every plant has different watering needs based on the species, the size of the plant, the substrate, the pot size, the environment it's in, etc. So the calibration of this system is painful, but it will be more reliable in dispensing water over time compared to the plastic bag, which just empties straight away,' he says. 'Might as well just pour a glass of water over it and not ruin the plastic bag.' SHOP: 🧽 Aussie mum's $6 solution to most hated household chore: 'Incredible' ☀️ Tax laws to burn Aussies on summer essential: 'Many of us struggle' 💁♀️ The lash and brow oil that will save you hundreds at the salon He adds that he understands not everybody would be willing to go to this amount of effort for their plants, so it all depends on how passionate a grower you are. 'For me, this is my business, so I can't afford my plants to die while I'm away, so this is something I'd only use if I go away for a short amount of time and cannot find someone to help me out,' he continues. 'Sometimes it's not about hacks and tools, but all about community.'
ABC News
25-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Plant Profile
SERIES 36 | Episode 13 Jane looks at the popular house plant, Peperomia. There are more than 1400 species around the world, including some native to Queensland and NSW, and many cultivars and hybrids to choose from. They are related to the Piper plants that produce black pepper seeds. COMMON NAME/S Baby rubber plant or peperomia. BOTANICAL NAME Peperomia spp. and cv. ORIGIN Australia, southern Asia, Africa, South and Central America. HABIT Small, semi-succulent herbs. FEATURES Interesting foliage with a range of colours, patterns and textures. USES Will grow outdoors in subtropics and tropics; indoor plant in cooler climates. BEST CLIMATE/POSITION Dappled light in tropical gardens; bright indoor light in cooler climates. PREFERRED SOIL Requires good drainage. PROPAGATION Leaf cuttings, pups. POTENTIAL PROBLEMS Frost sensitive; overwatering will cause root rot. Featured Peperomias VARIEGATED BABY RUBBER PLANT Peperomia obtusifolia 'Albo Marginata' RIPPLE PEPEROMIA Peperomia caperata 'Burgundy' Peperomia albovittata 'Rana Verde'
New York Times
22-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
I Went to War With Fungus Gnats. This Is the Secret Weapon That Helped Me Win.
When a flying bug comes my way, rational thought goes out the window. With high-pitched squeals and eyes shut, I'll bat the air, hoping to hit a line drive with the helpless creature. But more often than not, it's a swing and a miss. So you can imagine my horror when my indoor plants became infested with hundreds, if not thousands, of fungus gnats in the summer of 2020. My batting average was as low as my mental state as I unsuccessfully feuded against a swarm of tiny flies for weeks. When I thought I had finally gotten rid of them, a new platoon would emerge, ready to pick a fight. Desperation kicked in when every method I tried failed, from insecticides to homemade traps. Until, at last, I hit a walk-off grand slam by staking Garsum Fruit Fly Sticky Traps at the base of each plant. Once they were installed, it took only a few days to strike out the entire army of gnats without breaking a sweat. Since then, these sticky traps have been permanently nestled in the soil of my houseplants and clipped onto the fruit bowls in my kitchen as a frontline defense for keeping unwelcome bugs from invading my home. These sticky fly traps are designed to attract and capture insects that land or crawl onto the surface. Within a week of installing the sticky traps, my coworker Megan Beauchamp managed to capture several gnats hanging around her African violet. Megan Beauchamp/NYT Wirecutter Though fungus gnats are harmless to humans, they can wreak havoc on plants. The larvae live in soil and feed on fungi, organic matter, and occasionally a plant's roots, which can cause a once-thriving anthurium to go dry, lose its vigor, and even decay. It doesn't help that fungus gnats can reproduce surprisingly quickly. Mated females lay 100 to 200 microscopic eggs at a time, and they hatch a mere four to six days later, according to information published by Utah State University Extension and Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory. Once the larvae are born, they'll feed (on soil and plant roots) for about 15 days before spinning into a cocoon to transition into adulthood — a speedy five-to-six-day turnaround. In a fit of desperation, I used the adhesive side of a sticky note as my weapon of choice against these gnats, which worked on a small scale, but it led me to believe something better might already be on the market. I was right, and a quick TikTok search pointed me toward my beloved sticky traps — hundreds of videos confirmed their lethal capabilities. The fungus gnats were finally outmatched. A week after I put in the Garsum sticky traps, the flies were completely eradicated — aside from the proof of their lifeless corpses stuck onto the traps. The paper lining keeps the adhesive material from sticking until you're ready to use them. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter The yellow traps are designed to attract (due to the bright color) and capture (thanks to the super-sticky adhesive) any insect that lands or crawls onto them. They're long-lasting, durable, UV-resistant, and waterproof, so they're ideal for indoor or outdoor use (although I've only used them inside). They come in various designs with simple cutout silhouettes of butterflies, birds, and succulents and, on average, are about the size of an index card. The bottom portion of the trap has a pointed triangular shape, which makes it easier to stake it into the ground or a potted plant. But if you're having trouble inserting one, I've found that piercing the soil first with a butter knife or the plastic mini shovel tool that comes with the traps works well. To install, simply peel off the paper lining on both sides of the trap to reveal the adhesive material. Then, position it upright in the soil so that it's not too close to the plant's stems and leaves but close enough to get in the way of an insect's flight path. These highly effective sticky traps caught dozens of pesky bugs at a time. Even though I don't consider myself the murderous type, I marveled at the sight of the lifeless gnats pinned to the sticky surface. It was as oddly satisfying as taking in the infamous Gum Wall at Pike Place Market in Seattle — equally gross and gratifying. Left: The plants that were affected by the 2020 gnat infestation, after the sticky traps successfully eradicated the bugs. Right: The sticky traps protecting plants in our Long Island City, New York, office. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter The manufacturer says these sticky traps are also effective against other small airborne insects, like whiteflies, aphids, thrips, midges, leaf miners, mosquitoes, and fruit flies. In the five years that I've used the traps, I've also successfully taken on fruit flies, and I've made a habit of clipping a trap onto the side of my fruit bowl to prevent infestations from occurring. You can also prop them up near a trash can for similar results. I clip a sticky trap on my fruit bowl to trap fruit flies. Maki Yazawa/NYT Wirecutter When I'm not dealing with a full-blown infestation, the traps last several months, and I only toss and replace them once they're too polka-dotted with bugs to work effectively. My only qualm with this product is that the sticky material can get on your fingers, but an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or a few drops of vegetable oil can help soften it enough to rinse away. The manufacturer also notes that the glue can melt when exposed to heat, but I've found that briefly refrigerating the traps can help reconstitute the material. Fortunately, the adhesive doesn't inflict damage on a plant's leaves even if you accidentally touch one with a trap. In my experience, I've been able to carefully peel away any stuck-on leaves with minimal damage. Still, the pros far outweigh the cons, and I appreciate how hands-off this extermination method is. Long gone are the days of risking injury while batting flying insects away. If only solving all my critter concerns could be this easy. But a win's a win, and in my book, these sticky traps are a home run. This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Maxine Builder. Here's the best gear for killing flies and other common household pests. Our repellent recommendations are EPA approved, backed by experts, and tested by us. Create a bug-free bubble outdoors with these spatial insect repellents. Bug zappers kill the wrong bugs—to control bugs without a spray repellent, use a spatial repellent or a fan instead.
CNET
21-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Kitchen Clutter: 25 Useless Kitchen Items You Should Throw Out Now
Clearing off your crowded countertops and finally getting those overstuffed pantry doors to close? That starts with ditching the stuff you never use. Let's be honest -- there's probably a stash of soy sauce packets in there older than some of your houseplants. And then there's the sentimental stuff you know you should let go of: that favorite teacup with a big crack, or the trusty nonstick pan from your grad school days that hasn't been "nonstick" in years. It's time to say goodbye to the kitchen clutter that's just taking up space and make room for things you actually use -- or just enjoy a little extra breathing room. Here's a list of kitchen items worth tossing to help you finally declutter your cooking space for good.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Five houseplants to add to your home if you hate dusting – and one of them is just £9 from Wilko right now
WE'VE all got our preferred methods of dusting our homes, but did you know certain houseplants can lessen the load when it comes to banishing dust? Many houseplants can catch and hold onto airborne dust particles, which is great news for plant lovers and homeowners. 2 2 The plants do this by pulling in the dust like magnets, from the air and onto their leaves. So, which plants work best for this? S pider plant If you're looking for a low maintenance plant that's easy to find and take care of, the spider plant is the best choice for you. It's great choice for pet owners too, because it's not toxic and resilient to all kinds of conditions. The plant also thrives in indirect sunlight, but you will need to wipe the collected dust from the leaves to ensure it can photosynthesise. Additionally, they absorb nitrogen dioxide which can help to keep the air circulating your home clean and fresh. Snake plant The snake plant is renowned for being succulent, which means it's super easy to look after. It's a great choice for keeping air inside clean and fresh as it releases oxygen into the air whilst removing other toxins. Meanwhile, researchers at Harvard University found it to be one of the most oxygen-producing houseplants, helping you to breathe and sleep better. Better yet, you can pick up this plant for just £9.99 from Wilko right now, making it budget-friendly too. English Ivy If you frequently dye your hair at home, then it's worth investing in an English Ivy plant. I pinky promise you'll have happy houseplants if you avoid the 'gap of death' that's killing them – fixing it is easy That's because it helps to reduce the levels of chemicals, but this plant is toxic for pets so should be avoided by pet owners. The plant is pretty easy to look after though, and needs water and sunlight every day. Peace Lily The peace lily is an ideal plant to be kept in the bedroom as it has a high transpiration rate meaning that when watered, it helps to bring moisture back into the room. However, the bad news is it's toxic to pets and needs a bit more TLC, as it requires morning sunlight only, misting and damp soil. Aloe Vera When you think of aloe vera, chances are its skin-soothing benefits instantly spring to mind. However, it turns out it's also very effective in removing toxins from the air. Aloe Vera plants are great for places like kitchens, so they can banish airborne chemicals found in detergents. HOME insurance experts at Norton Insurance Brokers have identified five popular plants, including wisteria, bamboo, and ivy, that, while visually appealing, are increasingly linked to costly structural issues, rising premiums, and rejected insurance claims. Wisteria - Hidden structural threats and denied claims for water damage Bamboo - Spreading roots linked to floorboard damage and legal disputes English Ivy - Aerial roots prying into mortar and impacting building integrity Tall Trees - Subsidence risk and invalidated policies due to proximity Jasmine - Damp and mould caused by overgrowth near vents and brickwork
