Ants on Your Plants: What They Want and How to Get Rid of Them
Ants on your plants are almost always farming aphids or scale for honeydew. Learn how to remove the ants and, above all, treat the real pest behind them.
3 min read
Founder · outdoor plants & garden
Vicente
Vicente founded Plantcaria with one fixed idea: that no one should throw a plant away over bad advice. A 29-year-old engineer, he grew up surrounded by plants and dug deep into their care when he adopted his two cats and had to learn to tell the pretty from the toxic. The outdoors is his thing: a full balcony, pots in the sun and hands in the soil of the kitchen garden.
Outdoor plantsContainer gardeningPet-friendly plants
Articles by Vicente
How to Grow Beets in Pots (Roots and Leaves)
Grow beetroot in pots: pot depth, thinning seedlings, steady watering and harvest. Discover that the leaves are edible too and absolutely delicious.
3 min read
How to Grow Broccoli in Pots Step by Step
Grow broccoli in pots: a cool-season crop, a deep pot, sun, watering and harvesting the central head plus side shoots. Avoid the common pests and mistakes.
3 min read
Cilantro in Pots: How to Grow It Without Bolting
Grow cilantro (coriander) in pots step by step: succession sowing, light, watering and why it bolts in heat. Harvest fresh leaves for months.
3 min read
Ginger in Pots: Grow It at Home From a Rhizome
How to grow ginger in a pot from a piece of root: a wide pot, warmth, watering, light, and when to harvest the rhizome after several months.
2 min read
Mint in Pots: Grow It (Always Alone) Without It Taking Over
How to grow mint in pots: why to plant it alone, light, generous watering, harvesting, and how to stop its roots from invading your whole garden.
3 min read
How to Grow Eggplant in Pots Step by Step
A guide to growing eggplant (aubergine) in pots: pot size, warmth and sun, staking, watering, feeding and when to harvest the glossy fruit. Great for balconies.
3 min read
How to Grow Kale in Pots
A guide to growing kale in pots: pot size, sowing, harvesting leaf by leaf for months, and why frost makes it sweeter. An easy cool-season crop for balconies.
3 min read
How to Grow Swiss Chard in Pots (Easy, All Year)
A guide to growing Swiss chard in pots: pot size, sowing, cut-and-come-again harvesting, watering, and why it tolerates heat and cold. An easy balcony crop.
3 min read
How to Grow Cucumbers in Pots Step by Step
Grow cucumbers in pots: the right pot size, a trellis to climb, plenty of sun and steady water, and how to harvest often so they keep producing all summer.
3 min read
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea): Care and Watering
Ponytail palm care: it stores water in its swollen trunk, so very little watering, lots of light and nearly indestructible. Pet-safe. Complete guide.
3 min read
Indoor Yucca: Complete Plant Care Guide
Indoor yucca care guide: lots of light, very little water, well-draining soil and troubleshooting (soft trunk = overwatering). A practical, no-nonsense guide.
3 min read
Homemade Fertilizers: What Actually Works and What's a Myth
Banana peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, cooking water... We go through the most popular homemade fertilizers: which ones work, which are myths, and how to use them right.
11 min read
How to Use Neem Oil Against Pests (A Practical Guide)
Neem oil is the most versatile natural insecticide. Learn to dilute it properly with water and soap, when and how to spray, and the precautions to avoid scorching plants.
12 min read
Geraniums in Pots: Care, Watering and Endless Blooms
Geranium (pelargonium) care in pots: full sun, watering, deadheading for more flowers and how to overwinter them. The classic balcony plant, full guide.
3 min read
Lavender in Pots: Care, Sun, Watering and Pruning
Lavender in pots: lots of sun, sharp drainage, careful watering (overwatering kills it) and pruning so it doesn't go woody. The full care guide.
3 min read
Summer Care for Indoor Plants
Summer houseplant care guide: water more often, shield plants from harsh midday sun, raise humidity, feed during growth and avoid heat stress on hot days.
3 min read
How to Grow Potatoes in Bags Step by Step
Grow potatoes in bags or containers: chitting seed potatoes, soil, earthing up, watering and harvest. Big yields in a small space with no digging required.
3 min read
Plant Sunburn: How to Spot It and Prevent It
Pale, dry or brown patches from too much direct sun. Learn to recognize leaf sunburn, acclimate your plants gradually, and what to do with scorched leaves.
3 min read
How to Grow Arugula in Pots (Fast, Cut-and-Come-Again)
Grow arugula (rocket) in pots: easy sowing, part shade, watering, cut-and-come-again harvest, and why it gets bitter in heat. Fresh peppery leaves in weeks.
3 min read
How to Grow Garlic in Pots Step by Step
Grow garlic in pots or on a balcony: planting cloves in autumn, depth, sun, watering and when to harvest. An easy, long-running and very rewarding crop.
3 min read
How to Grow Microgreens at Home (Ready in 1-2 Weeks)
Grow microgreens at home: trays, radish, pea or sunflower seeds, light, misting and harvest in 7-14 days. Fast, nutritious and easy for total beginners.
3 min read
How to Grow Green Beans in Pots Step by Step
Grow green beans in pots or on a balcony: bush vs pole varieties, pot size, sun, watering, supports and how to harvest for more pods all season long.
2 min read
How to Grow Peas in Pots (A Cool-Season Crop)
Grow peas in pots or on a balcony: fall and spring sowing, depth, netting to climb, watering and when to harvest the pods at their sweetest point.
2 min read
How to Choose the Right Pot for Your Plant
How to choose a pot: why drainage is essential, what size to use (not too big, not too small), and the pros and cons of terracotta, plastic, ceramic and fabric.
3 min read
How to Keep Plants Watered While on Holiday
Tricks to keep plants watered while you're away: wicks, water bottles, grouping them in the bathroom, and how to prep your home before you walk out the door.
3 min read
Winter Care for Indoor Plants
Winter houseplant care guide: water far less, chase the light, keep them away from radiators and drafts, pause feeding and raise the humidity.
3 min read
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata): Care Guide
How to care for the jade plant (Crassula ovata): lots of light, soak-and-dry watering, succulent soil, easy leaf and stem propagation, and toxicity to pets.
3 min read
String of Pearls (Senecio): Care Guide
How to care for string of pearls (Senecio rowleyanus): bright light, careful watering so it doesn't rot, well-draining soil, easy propagation and toxicity.
3 min read
Which Potting Soil to Use for Each Plant (and Why It Matters)
The right soil prevents half your problems. Learn which mix to use for succulents, tropicals, orchids and the garden, and the ingredients that improve any soil.
2 min read
Aphids: How to Get Rid of Them With Easy Remedies
Aphids breed at lightning speed on new shoots and buds. Learn to identify them, clear them with water, soap and natural remedies, and prevent a comeback.
1 min read
Slugs and Snails: How to Protect Your Garden Without Chemicals
Slugs and snails devour seedlings and leaves at night. Learn to spot them by their trail and control them with barriers, beer traps and natural methods.
1 min read
Indoor Cactus Care: How to Get Blooms (and Avoid Rot)
Indoor cactus care: how much light and water it needs, which soil, the winter rest that triggers flowering, and the mistakes that rot it. Easy and tough.
5 min read
Kalanchoe: Care for the Succulent That Blooms All Year
Kalanchoe care: light, watering and the darkness trick to make it rebloom. A bright-flowering succulent that's easy and tough, ideal for beginners.
1 min read
How to Grow Carrots in Pots (Straight and Sweet)
Grow carrots in containers: what depth they need, short varieties ideal for planters, sowing, watering, and why they come out twisted or forked.
1 min read
Radishes in Pots: The Fastest Harvest in the Urban Garden
Grow radishes in pots in under a month. Sowing, depth, watering and why they grow all leaf and no bulb. The perfect crop to start with and for kids.
1 min read
Spinach in Pots: Fresh Leaves Year-Round on the Balcony
Grow spinach in pots: sowing, watering, part shade and the trick of harvesting leaf by leaf. A fast, nutritious, easy leafy crop for the urban garden.
1 min read
How to Grow Zucchini in Pots (Big Harvest, Small Space)
Grow zucchini in a large pot: variety, size, sun, watering and hand pollination. Learn why baby zucchini drop off and how to prevent it.
1 min read
The 12 Best Indoor Plants for Beginners
Starting out with plants? These 12 are nearly impossible to kill: tough, forgiving and pretty. With light, water, toxicity and the habits that actually kill them.
8 min read
Aloe Vera: Care, Watering and How to Use Its Gel at Home
Aloe vera care: how much light and water it needs, which pot and soil, how to propagate it from pups, and how to extract its gel. The most useful houseplant succulent.
13 min read
Snake Plant (Sansevieria): The Plant You Almost Can't Kill
Snake plant (Sansevieria) care: minimal watering, light, why it's perfect for beginners, how to propagate it, and the only mistakes that actually kill it.
6 min read
Succulents: Care So They Don't Stretch or Rot
Succulent care: how much light and water they need, which soil and pot, how to propagate from leaves, and why they stretch. The guide to keep them pretty.
6 min read
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas): Care for the Toughest Houseplant
ZZ plant (Zamioculcas) care: it handles low light and missed waterings. Learn light, watering, propagation and why it's the ideal plant for offices.
5 min read
Herbs in Pots: The Easiest Garden to Start With
How to grow basil, parsley, mint, rosemary and more in pots or on your kitchen sill. Light, watering, when to harvest and tricks so they don't bolt or die.
2 min read
How to Make Compost at Home (Even on a Balcony)
Turn your kitchen scraps into free fertilizer. Learn what to add and what not to, the 'green and brown' mix, and how to compost on a balcony with a worm bin.
2 min read
How to Grow Lettuce in Pots (Harvest in 30 Days)
Grow lettuce in pots at home or on a balcony: varieties, pot, watering, light and the cut-and-come-again trick. The fastest, easiest garden to start with.
2 min read
How to Grow Peppers in Pots (Sweet and Hot)
Guide to growing peppers in containers: variety, pot size, sun, watering and feeding. Tricks to set fruit and ripen them, ideal for balconies and patios.
2 min read
How to Grow Strawberries in Pots at Home or on a Balcony
Guide to growing strawberries in containers: variety, pot and soil, sun, watering, feeding and how to get lots of sweet berries. Perfect for balconies and planters.
2 min read
How to Grow Tomatoes in Pots (and Harvest on Your Balcony)
Step-by-step guide to growing tomatoes in containers: variety, pot size, soil, watering, staking and the mistakes that ruin the harvest. Perfect for balconies.
2 min read
How to Fertilize Your Plants (Without Burning Them)
Which fertilizer to use, how often and how much. Learn to read NPK, when NOT to fertilize, and the signs of overfeeding. So your plants grow strong.
12 min read
15 Pet-Safe Plants for Cats and Dogs (Non-Toxic)
A list of non-toxic indoor plants that are safe for cats and dogs. Decorate with greenery without worrying if your pet nibbles a leaf. With alternatives.
12 min read