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Help for the Home Gardener

 

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Visit the Center for Home Gardening

Stop by the Center for Home Gardening and get your gardening questions answered by our expert staff and Master Gardener volunteers at the Plant Doctor Desk, or check out our houseplant display and other home gardening resources! Be sure to also take a stroll through our 23 outdoor demonstration gardens, which include a vegetable and fruit garden, cut flower garden, an experimental garden, and a newly renovated native prairie garden.  

Plant Doctor Desk (Walk-In) 

April–October open daily, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

November–March open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Horticulture Answer Service (Phone & E-mail) 

Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. 

Phone #: 314-577-5143 

E-mail: plantinformation@mobot.org 

January Gardening Tips

  • Gently wipe dust off of houseplant leaves with a damp, clean microfiber cloth. Use distilled water to avoid white mineral deposits on the leaves  Commercial "leaf shine" products are not required and can clog leaf pores. Homemade solutions containing oils, detergents, vinegar, or lemon juice are also not recommended.
     
  • After amaryllis have bloomed: remove spent flowers by cutting off the stalk at the base and set the plant in a sunny window to allow the leaves to fully develop. Keep the soil evenly moist and fertilize occasionally with a general-purpose fertilizer.
     
  • Monitor overwintering dormant plants, bulbs, and tubers by ensuring they are not completely dried out or rotting.
     
  • Quarantine new houseplants in a room separate from other houseplants and monitor for signs of pests or disease for two weeks.
     
  • It is not safe to try and remove ice and heavy snow from large trees. Allow it to melt naturally.