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Are African Violet Houseplants Safe for Cats?

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Being a cat owner myself, I know that it’s extremely important to keep your pets safe. But does that mean you have to sacrifice your plant collection? Nope! Even if your feline friend likes to try a few bites every now and again, there are quite a few popular houseplants that are non-toxic and safe for cats!

But here’s the real reason why you’re reading my post…

You want to know… Are African Violets safe for my cat?

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Scientific Name: Saintpaulia 

Common Name: African Violet

Toxicity Level: Non-Toxic

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (aka the ASPCA), African Violets are non-toxic. They are specifically labelled as safe for cats, dogs, and even horses!

This means that this plant will not cause any major problems if your cat decides to try a few bites. 

Good news, right?!

But before you go, here are a few ESSENTIAL tips that all cat owners need to know to keep their pets safe…

There’s Still a Chance for Poisoning…

While African Violets aren’t poisonous plants, there are still a few ways your curious cats can get into trouble. 

This is if you, or the person you bought your plant from (usually a commercial greenhouse), have been using strong fertilizers or a systemic insecticide on your plant.

Strong fertilizers (different from what you buy at your local garden center) have the possibility of causing gastrointestinal issues. However, this is only if your pet has been ingesting large amounts of the plant over a long period of time. If your plant is relatively new, or you plan on busting out the super, high-intense, extra-strength, commercial-grade fertilizers, then you should probably keep your plant away from your cat.

A more harmful substance is a systemic insecticide. These are insecticides that are absorbed by the plant (usually through the root system), so that when an insect eats any part of the plant, it will die.

Now, your cat probably won’t die due to the fact that he or she won’t be eating their entire body weight’s worth of poisonous leaves like the insects do, but this still isn’t good for your pet and can cause MAJOR harm… (anyone else thinking of Snow White and the Poisoned Apple?!?!)

Symptoms of Poisoning

Cats Protection lists the following as symptoms of poisoning:

  • Vomiting
  • Excess Salivation
  • Diarrhea
  • Body Spasms/Twitching
  • Difficulty Breathing
  • Shock
  • Inflammation of the Skin
  • Sudden Changes in Eating, Drinking, or Urination
  • Sudden Depression or Coma

If your cat is experiencing any of these symptoms, then immediately call either your veterinarian, or the pet poison helpline at 1-888-426-4435.

Pet Poison Helpline: 1-888-426-4435

When to Not Worry…

You shouldn’t worry if your cat has only ingested a small amount of your African Violet and is only showing signs of slight gastrointestinal discomfort (or stomach upset). This is normal when your little fur baby has eaten something that is new to them… (trust me… I used to get the same gut feeling when I ate sushi for the first time, haha!)

These signs of discomfort should be mild and should only last a short duration of time. If, however, symptoms persist, or if they get worse, then immediately seek help from your veterinarian or call the pet poison helpline.

Safe Houseplants for Pet Owners

That’s all you need to know about African Violets and your cats! If you’re looking for more indoor plants that will be safe for your cats, then check out my list of Non-Toxic Plants for Cats and Dogs!

And to be extra cautious, you should probably also check out my list of Poisonous Indoor Plants as well.

Here’s to keeping safe with your precious, (taste-testing) fur baby!

Happy Digging!

*Note: I am not a veterinarian, and hold no liability for any damage or loss of life that occurs. To be safe, I suggest you consult with a professional, such as your veterinarian.*

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3 Steps to Quickly Save your Overwatered Succulents

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Overwatered. The one word that every succulent owner comes to know and fear at least once during their plant journey. But don’t worry. An overwatered succulent is on the path to dying, but by immediately doing these three steps, you might be able to preserve at least a part of your beloved plant! So here are the three things you need to do as soon as you notice that your succulent has been overwatered.

*Note: For those of you who want to watch all of the steps, here is my video where I go through exactly what you need to do to save your over-watered succulents!*

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Step #1: Prepare the Roots

Take your succulent out of its current pot and remove as much of the soil as possible from its roots. This can be done by holding your succulent above a bowl or a tray and gently massage the root system to allow the soil to fall into the tray. If your soil is very wet, then you might have to support some of the roots to keep the wet soil from ripping the roots off when it falls.

Another way to gently remove soil from the roots is to use water to wash off the soil. This is best done outdoors with a hose to avoid getting soil down an indoor drain system.

Overwatered Succulent Roots

Depending on how much root rot has occurred, some of you might still have a root system to work with, while others of you might not have any root system left. This is seen when the stem of the plant is mushy and separates from the root system easily. However, if you do have a root system remaining, then let any roots lightly air dry in a warm location for about 20 minutes to an hour. Make sure that this succulent (and its roots!) stay out of direct sunlight!

Step #2: Remove Dead Portions

If you have a root system that is still attached to your plant, then simply trim off and remove any black or mushy roots. Then pour hydrogen peroxide over the roots that remain. The hydrogen peroxide will help kill any bacteria rot in the roots!

Hydrogen Peroxide on Succulent Roots

If you don’t have a root system left, then assess the stem of your succulent. Trim off any portion of the stem that is discolored. This should leave you with only a top portion of the plant remaining. If the majority of the stem is discolored, try to take off a few of the best-looking leaves to prepare for the third and final step. Try to take leaves from the top of the plant as these are always the last to become affected by overwatering. Just keep in mind that you will want to try to choose any fully-formed leaves as leaves that are just starting to grow from the top won’t be as easy to propagate.

Step #3: Repot or Propagate

If your root system is still intact, then let it lightly dry out before repotting. When placing it back into soil, you will want to correct any issues that were causing it to be overwatered. Three things that you can adjust is to either repot your succulent into a smaller pot, repot it into a pot with better drainage (either switch to a clay pot, a pot with larger drainage holes, or both!), or repot it using a lighter soil (such as a cactus and succulent mix, or a perlite mix).

For those of you who only have a stem or leaves left, then you will need to start by drying your cuttings out for a few days (1-2 days away from direct sunlight). Then propagate them by using the instructions found in my post How to Propagate Succulents.

Another great tool to help you avoid overwatering in the future is to use a soil moisture meter. I have personally never overwatered a single plant since purchasing this soil moisture meter! It really is a game-changer!

Well I hope that this process goes well for you and your succulent. It can be a very delicate process as you save your succulent from being overwatered. I hope that this 3-step process has helped you to have success. And once again, be sure to buy a soil moisture meter to prevent this from ever happening again!

Please leave any additional comments or questions below and sign up for my email list to receive even more tips and tricks to help keep your houseplants alive!

Happy Digging!

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How to Stop Over Watering your Succulents

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I get it. You buy a succulent, you lovingly water it, and then three days later it has died… What went wrong?! Then you discover the ugly truth. You’ve been over watering your succulents! Don’t worry. We’ve all been there. But how exactly do you stop? And how do you keep your little guys alive?! Keep reading, cause I’ll show you exactly how to stop over watering your succulents!

There are a couple of different reasons why your succulent is being over watered. First, it could be because you are simply adding too much water to its pot.

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Reason #1: Using Too Much Water

To fix this, only add small amounts of water each time you are watering.

Sounds simple, right?!

Well, it can actually be super difficult if you’re using a regular watering can to water those tiny little pots.

This is why it’s BEST to water your succulents with one of these!

These succulent watering bottles are designed to give you the ultimate control over how much your succulent is watered. It also has a small nozzle, which positions the water stream to exactly where you want it! No more wet succulent leaves, and no more wet plant shelves!

Reason #2: Not Enough Drainage

The next thing to consider with over watering succulents is how fast your water is draining out of its pot.

In a succulent’s native habitat, water will move quickly into, then out of a plant’s reach. This is done either through the water quickly sinking down through the sandy or rocky soil, or water will escape through evaporation due to the sun’s heat. Either way, the soil does not stay wet for long.

Which means… succulents are not accustomed to having their roots constantly wet. In fact, they’re used to having moderately dry roots.

Because of this, we need to allow the water in our own pots to move down and out of the soil.

To do this, we will need:

  1. Soil that drains well
  2. Pots that drain well

Well-Draining Soil

For well-draining soil, either amend regular soil with sand and perlite (at a rate of 1/3 soil, 1/3 sand, and 1/3 perlite), or consider purchasing a pre-mixed soil, such as this cactus and succulent soil!

Well-Draining Pots

To have well-draining pots, first make sure that your pot’s soil-to-root ratio is correct. (A.k.a., don’t use a large pot for a small succulent). This is extremely important!!!

If your succulent is small, use a small pot.

Also, look for shallow pots. Don’t purchase anything too deep.

Then, make sure that your pots have drainage holes!!!

I can’t stress this enough! Succulents NEED pots with drainage holes!

If you want to group your succulents together, get a pot that is specifically made for grouping succulents. These will be shallow, wide, and have drainage holes. Check out these pots for succulent groupings.

And for pot ideas, check out my post on Indoor Plant Pots. Just make sure you pick out pots that are proportionate to the size of your succulents!!!

So remember, add less water, and improve drainage of your soil and your pots! If you do all of these above steps, you will never over water your succulents again! Let me know if you have any more succulent-related questions in the comments below! And for more succulent tips, check out my post on Succulent Care, or my post, How Often should I Water my Succulent?!

Happy Digging!

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Common Problems with Christmas Cactus and How to Fix Them

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Isn’t it frustrating when your plant (that looked so great at the store!) comes home and slowly starts looking like it’s about to die?! If this is the story of you and your Christmas cactus, just know that it’s okay.

You are not the only person who has a hard time keeping this tropical cactus alive…

And today, I’m going to show you the five most common problems people run into with their Christmas cactus. Knowing these problems and implementing their solutions will turn your dying Christmas cactus back into its glorious cactus self again soon!

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Problem #1: Your Christmas Cactus’ Leaves are Limp & Droopy

Cause #1: There are two different reasons why your Christmas cactus’ leaves are limp and droopy. The first reason is if it is currently flowering. Producing flowers takes a lot of energy away from the plant and many people have said that their plants become droopy during and just after flowering.

Care: If this is you, then simply wait until your plant has finished flowering, then make sure to let it rest for a few weeks with no fertilizer and only little water. Only water it when the soil is dry to the touch. After these few weeks, you can then resume your care as normal.

Cause #2: The second reason for limp or droopy leaves is because of improper watering. This is also a cause for wilted or shriveled leaves. So if your plant’s leaves are limp and droopy, and it isn’t currently flowering, then improper watering is the cause.

Care: Refer to the next section for shriveled or wilted leaf care.

Christmas Cactus Limp Leaves
Image courtesy of Garden.org

Problem #2: Your Christmas Cactus’ Leaves are Shriveled or Wilted

Cause: Christmas cactus leaves will wilt and shrivel up when the leaves aren’t getting enough water due to improper watering. This can be from either over-watering or under-watering. Feel the soil several inches below the soil surface, or use a soil moisture meter to determine if your soil has been kept too wet or too dry.

Care #1: If your soil is too wet, then you will most likely have damaged roots. You should immediately re-pot your Christmas cactus into fresh soil that is only lightly moist. While re-potting, trim off any black or mushy roots and pour hydrogen peroxide over the root system. This will kill any remaining bacteria before you place it into fresh soil. Also, take stem cuttings at this time to propagate, following the directions in Christmas Cactus Propagation. This will ensure that even if your plants’ roots die, you will still have cuttings to re-grow your Christmas cactus.

Care #2: On the flip side, if your plant is too dry, then you will need to slowly increase the moisture levels over a few days. Slowly bring it from bone dry back to lightly moist. You will know you’ve been successful when your plant’s leaves perk back up! Just be sure that you don’t end up over-watering your plant at this time. Remember, let it barely dry out before you water it again.

Also note that if your plant’s soil is hard and difficult to press your fingers into, then you will need to re-pot your plant into fresh, well-draining soil, such as a cactus and succulent soil or a regular soil mixed with additional sand or perlite.

Image courtesy of reddit.com

Problem #3: Your Plant’s Leaves are Pale or Red

Cause: Christmas cactus leaves begin to turn pale and then get a slight red tint if they are getting too much direct sunlight. The red tint can be pretty (and harmless in the right settings), but make sure that it isn’t getting burnt. Remember, these plants are tropical cacti, not desert cacti. So they are used to a very moist heat, not a dry heat like what you find in a home window. So if your leaves are turning a pale greenish-yellow color, or are excessively red, then it’s too much hot, direct sunlight.

Care: Move your Christmas cactus out of any direct sunlight. Indirect sunlight will be fine, but try to avoid any direct sunlight for at least a little while.

These plants can eventually become accustomed to higher light levels, but this would take a lot of acclimatizing. Instead, I would suggest you take the easier route and simply move it away from the hot sunlight.

Image courtesy of houzz.com

Problem #4: You Christmas Cactus’ Stems are Falling Off

Cause: The reason why your plant’s stems are falling off is because of root- or stem rot at the base of the plant. This always happens as a result of over-watering.

Care: Follow the care instructions for over-watering under the “Wilted or Shriveled Leaves” section (Problem #2, Care #1). This will tell you exactly how to care for a plant that has been over-watered.

Image courtesy of reddit.com

Problem #5: Flower Buds Fall off Before they Fully Bloom

Cause: Christmas cactus flower are notorious for being overly-sensitive. The reasons why your buds fell off could be because of your plant getting too dry, staying too wet, or because it recently moved locations.

Care: When your plant is in bud, make sure to keep your watering schedule consistent. But, if something comes up (or you’ve just recently brought your plant home) and all of its buds fall off, sit tight.

Let it rest for a few weeks, keeping it a bit more dry than usual, and give it a chance to set new buds. Sometimes if it is healthy enough, a Christmas cactus is able to produce a second set of blooms. So don’t get frustrated! Your little plant might just need a bit more time!

Image courtesy of gardeningknowhow.com

Those are the 5 most common Christmas cactus problems and how to fix them! Please let me know below if you have any questions or additional comments, and join my email list to get not only a special welcome gift, but to also receive all the latest tips and how-to’s straight to your inbox. Then, for more info on how to take care of your plant, check out my post, Christmas Cactus Plant Care!

Happy Digging!

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Top 5 Worst Herbs to Grow Indoors

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Worst Herbs to Grow Indoors

We’ve all been there… bought a new plant baby, lovingly watered and nurtured it, gave it the perfect spot,… then cried as it withered away and died despite all your hard work. Been there, done that. So let’s just get this out in the open. Not all plants like being indoors. Some like more sun, others like the temperature fluctuations that come with the outdoors, others just need better air circulation… So let me help you stay away from those sad plant deaths and tell you which indoor herbs are the hardest to grow indoors.

*Note: These herbs can still be successfully grown indoors, but they will have more indoor plant deaths than their easy-to-grow herb counterparts. If one of your favorite herbs is on this list, you might just need to do some extra research before purchasing one of these plants for growing indoors.*

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Worst Indoor Herbs #1: Basil

Basil is one of those herbs that everyone has because it’s so useful, but that dies in a lot of people’s care. This is because basil plants need a lot of sun to grow well, and a lot of water to keep it happy in the sun. When caring for my basil plant, I noticed that I had to water it at least once EVERY DAY during the summer to keep it happy. And with it being in the brightest spot in the house, it STILL produced small leaves. So that’s why it’s on my list of worst herbs to grow indoors… it needs a LOT of attention and is very difficult to produce those large, tasty leaves that are so much easier to grow outdoors.

Quick Tip: If you still want to grow basil indoors, try out one of the smaller-leaf basil such as a Thai basil. This will be easier to care for and will grow better indoors.

Worst Herbs to Grow Indoors - Basil

Worst Indoor Herbs #2: Cilantro

Cilantro makes the list of worst herbs to grow because it also needs a LOT of sunlight to grow. Most indoor cilantro plants that I see all have small leaves and are stretched because they aren’t getting enough sunlight. In order for cilantro plants to produce well, they need to have lots of sun and lots of space, which makes them one of the worst herbs to grow indoors.

Quick Tip: If you still want to grow cilantro indoors, then grow them in large flats and put in plenty of seeds. Then start another tray 4-6 weeks later, and maybe another tray after that. Then make sure that your cilantro has a dedicated grow light. This will help you feel okay about over-harvesting since you will have other trays growing. You will also be able to harvest each tray at once and before it begins to bolt (aka flower). This method of having different trays at different development stages (and each with their own light) is one way to successfully grow cilantro indoors.

Cilantro Plant

Worst Indoor Herbs #3: Italian Parsley

Just like cilantro, parsley makes this list of worst herbs to grow indoors based on the amount of light that it needs to produce large, harvest-worthy leaves. Indoors, parsley needs to be placed in a sunny window, and will need to be turned every other time that you water it to ensure even growth. Even with this, it might still not produce large enough leaves. Then it will need a dedicated plant light to stimulate large leaf growth.

If you want to grow parsley indoors, then I would suggest you use a curly leaf parsley (as opposed to flat-leaf parsley, such as the common Italian parsley). Curly leaf parsley is usually a bit easier to grow and will give you a better harvest than the flat-leaf parsley.

Parsley Plant

Worst Indoor Herbs #4: Dill

Dill is actually pretty easy to grow, however, this plant gets huge! Unless you’ve got a spare 3-4 feet to give this herb, then you won’t be able to keep it in your windowsill herb garden!

To grow dill indoors, try a fern-leaf variety, which will only grow to about 1.5-2 feet in height. You’ll still need to give it some space, but at least this smaller size is more realistic for an indoor plant.

Worst Indoor Herbs #5: Fennel

Fennel is one of the worst herbs to grow indoors because, like dill, it is also huge! Most fennel plants can reach up to 6 feet in height! I don’t know about you, but I DEFINITELY don’t have this type of space in my home! So while you can grow it from a small plant indoors, you’ll eventually want to bring it outdoors. This will allow the plant to have enough space to grow its large, onion-like bulbs (that are also edible!).

There aren’t really any options to grow this herb indoors, but if you want to overwinter it, you can grow it in large, deep pots outdoors during the summer. Then in the fall, cut it back to a few feet in height and bring it indoors. This way, it can continue to stay warm and grow throughout the winter. You can continue to harvest the leaves all winter long as it grows, and then simply move it back out the following spring before it really begins its spring-time growth.

Fennel Plant

Those are the 5 worst herbs to grow indoors! These herbs have been selected based on personal experience, as well as selected based on many other comments and suggestions made by others who have had difficulty with these plants.

IF you have difficulty growing herbs indoors, then I would suggest you get one of these indoor herb kits! These are simple, table-top systems that make growing herbs as easy as pushing a button. Seriously… these kits are amazingly simple and effective!

If you have any other questions or comments to help with the indoor growing of these plants, please share! And feel free to sign up for my email list for even more amazing tips and tricks for your indoor plants!

Happy Digging!

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