If you’ve ever thought, “I just checked this plant. How are there pests again?!” You’re not imagining things. Most indoor pests don’t hang out where we casually glance. They hide in places we rarely think to look especially in winter. 🌿 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 Winter pests are sneaky because: * Plant growth is slower, so damage shows gradually * Leaves aren’t dropping dramatically * Pests tuck themselves into protected spots By the time you see obvious signs, they’ve often settled in comfortably. 🐛 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬 Here’s where pests love to hide and where a quick check can make all the difference. 🍃 𝟏. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 This is pest central. Spider mites, aphids, and scale often live here because: * It’s sheltered * It’s rarely disturbed * Sap flow is strong 👉 𝐓𝐢𝐩: Flip a few leaves every week. not every leaf, just a sample. 🌱 𝟐. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 & 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 Anywhere a leaf meets a stem is prime real estate. Mealybugs especially love these spots because: * They’re hidden * Cottony residue blends in * Treatments often miss them 👉 𝐓𝐢𝐩: Look closely where leaves branch out. 🪴 𝟑. 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 (𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐎𝐧𝐞𝐬) Scale insects often look like: * Small bumps * Scabs * Texture changes They’re easy to mistake for part of the plant. 👉 𝐓𝐢𝐩: Run your finger lightly along the stem, if it feels bumpy, look closer. 🌸 𝟒. 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 & 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐬 Tender new growth attracts pests first. Why? * Soft tissue * Easy access to sap * Less resistance 👉 𝐓𝐢𝐩: Always inspect new leaves before celebrating them. 💧 𝟓. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 Not all pests live on leaves. Fungus gnats and larvae hide: * In constantly damp soil * Just below the surface 👉 𝐓𝐢𝐩: If you see gnats flying, check watering habits first. 🚫 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐖𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐬 Most of us: * Look from above * Focus on the biggest leaves * Assume pests would be obvious But winter pests survive by staying subtle. 🛡️ 𝐀 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 (𝟓 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬) Once a week, pick one or two plants and:

(𝐴 𝑆𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠) You don’t need harsh sprays, constant inspections, or panic scrolling to keep pests under control in winter. What you need is a simple prevention rhythm. One that works with winter conditions, not against them. This checklist takes 5–10 minutes a week and can save you months of frustration later. 🌿 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 You don’t need to do everything every day. Just pick a couple plants each week and run through this list. ✔️ 𝟏. 𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐚 𝐅𝐞𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 Pests love the undersides. * Check 3–5 leaves per plant * Look for stippling, webbing, or residue * Focus on older leaves and new growth ✔️ 𝟐. 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 & 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 Anywhere leaves meet stems is a favorite hiding spot. * Look for cottony clumps (mealybugs) * Feel for bumps along stems (scale) * Use good light and don’t rush ✔️ 𝟑. 𝐖𝐢𝐩𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 Dust blocks light and gives pests cover. * Use a damp cloth or soft paper towel * Support the leaf from underneath * Skip sprays, plain water works fine 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: Plants photosynthesize better immediately. ✔️ 𝟒. 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 Not all pests live on leaves. * Let soil dry slightly between waterings * Look for gnats hovering near pots * Avoid letting water sit in saucers Drier soil = fewer fungus gnat problems. ✔️ 𝟓. 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 Crowding helps pests spread. * Separate plants slightly * Rotate positions occasionally * Quarantine any new or struggling plant Even a few inches of space helps. ✔️ 𝟔. 𝐀𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 😄) Yes, it matters that much in winter. * Check soil below the surface * Water less often than your instincts suggest Remember: slow roots = slow water use 🚫 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐨 Skip these unless there’s a real problem: * Preventive chemical sprays * Fertilizing “just in case” * Daily inspections * Panic repotting Prevention works best when it’s boring and consistent. 🌼 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐦, 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 Winter pests thrive on stress- yours and the plant’s.

If it feels unfair that pests show up just when plants are already struggling… You’re not wrong. Winter is actually prime time for certain pests, especially indoors. Not because plants are weak, but because conditions are quietly in the pests’ favor. 🌱 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 Winter creates the perfect storm for pests: * Warm indoor temperatures * Dry air from heating systems * Crowded plants grouped together * Slower-growing plants that can’t recover quickly While plants slow down… 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭. 🐜 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬 These pests thrive when we least expect them: 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 * Love dry air * Cause stippling, yellowing, fine webbing * Often appear suddenly 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐛𝐮𝐠𝐬 * Hide in leaf joints and stems * Look like tiny cottony clumps * Spread easily between plants 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 * Appear as bumps on stems or leaves * Often mistaken for part of the plant * Drain sap quietly over time 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐬 𝐆𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐬 * Thrive in consistently damp soil * Usually a watering issue, not a soil problem 👀 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐆𝐨 𝐔𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 Winter pests are sneaky because: * Growth is already slow, so damage blends in * Leaves aren’t dropping dramatically * We assume problems are “just winter stuff” By the time pests are obvious, they’ve often been there a while. 🚫 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 Resist the urge to: * Panic and spray everything immediately * Overwater to “help the plant recover” * Fertilize to push growth * Ignore it and hope it resolves itself None of these fix the root issue and some make it worse. 🛡️ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 (𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲) Start simple and consistent: * Isolate the plant if possible * Wipe leaves (especially undersides) * Increase humidity slightly for spider mites * Let soil dry more to discourage gnats * Inspect weekly, not daily Consistency beats harsh treatments every time. 🌼 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞 Pests don’t mean you’re doing something wrong. They mean you’re growing plants in real-life conditions.

You’ve been eagerly watching those tomatoes ripen… and then you spot it—cracks in the skin! While cracked tomatoes are still edible (and often just as tasty), they’re not exactly picture-perfect and can shorten storage life. Let’s look at why it happens and how you can prevent it in your container garden. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 Tomato cracking is most often caused by fluctuating moisture levels. Here’s what’s going on: * When a tomato takes up water faster than its skin can expand, the skin splits. * This usually happens after a dry spell followed by heavy rain or sudden deep watering. * Certain tomato varieties, especially large or thin-skinned types, are more prone to cracking. 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 * 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 – Spread out from the stem end down the sides. * 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 – Form rings around the stem end. Both types are caused by the same issue: rapid fruit expansion. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 💧 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐌𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 * Water deeply and regularly—don’t let soil dry out completely. * Self-watering containers can help regulate moisture. 🌦 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 * If heavy rain is forecast, move containers under cover to avoid sudden water overload. 🍅 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤-𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 * Look for varieties labeled “crack-resistant” such as Juliet, Mountain Magic, or Celebrity. 🪴 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 * A 1–2 inch layer of straw, shredded leaves, or compost helps retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. ✂️ 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 * Pick tomatoes when they start to blush and let them finish ripening indoors to avoid split skins after rain. 𝐈𝐟 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 * Eat cracked tomatoes quickly to prevent mold or rot. * Avoid storing them in the fridge unless they’re already very ripe—cold temps can dull the flavor. 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞: Inconsistent watering is the main culprit behind cracked tomato skins. By keeping soil moisture steady, providing shelter during storms, and choosing the right varieties, you can keep your container tomatoes looking as gorgeous as they taste. 🍅💚

Root rot is the silent killer of container plants — one soggy day too many, and suddenly your once-thriving green friend starts drooping for no apparent reason. But don’t give up yet! With quick action, you can save your plant (and prevent it from happening again). 🚨 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐭 * Leaves turning yellow or brown despite moist soil * Mushy or blackened roots when you pull the plant out * A sour or musty smell coming from the soil If you catch it early, there’s hope! 🪴 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟏: 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐭 Gently lift your plant out of its container. Tap off as much soggy soil as possible so you can inspect the roots. ✂️ 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟐: 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 Use clean scissors or pruners to snip off any soft, dark, or mushy roots. Healthy roots should be firm and white or light tan. 🌬️ 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟑: 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐎𝐮𝐭 Lay the root ball on a paper towel or mesh surface for a few hours. This helps it dry and stops the rot from spreading. 🪵 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟒: 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡, 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 Use new potting mix (preferably one labeled for container plants). Add perlite, sand, or bark to improve drainage if needed. Make sure the pot has a good drainage hole. 🌿 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟓: 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲 Water only when the top inch of soil feels dry. When in doubt — skip a day! Overwatering is far more dangerous than letting your plant get slightly thirsty. 💡 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐩: Place pots on risers or saucers with airflow beneath them so excess water can escape — especially important during cool or rainy weather!