MAPIGarden & Outdoor
Step-by-step guides for gardening, plant care, outdoor maintenance, landscaping, patios, tools, and practical projects to improve and care for your outdoor spaces.
25 guides
Why Are My Plant Leaves Covered in Black Sooty Mold?
Black soot-like coating on leaves is often sooty mold growing on sticky honeydew produced by sap-feeding insects such as aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs or soft scale.
What Are the Brown Bumps on My Plant Stems?
Brown or tan bumps that stay attached to stems or leaves may be scale insects, especially when the plant also has sticky honeydew, sooty mold, yellowing or reduced vigor.
Why Are There Cottony White Clumps on My Plant?
Cottony white clumps on stems, leaf joints or leaves often indicate mealybugs, insects covered in white wax that feed on plant sap.
Why Are There Tiny White Flies on My Plant?
Tiny white insects that flutter up when a plant is disturbed are a classic sign of whiteflies, especially when the leaf undersides hold flat immature stages.
Why Are There Tiny Webs on My Plant Leaves?
Tiny webbing on leaves is a strong clue for spider mites, especially when leaves are also stippled, bronzed or dropping.
Should You Replace a Bent Lawn Mower Blade?
A bent mower blade should be replaced rather than treated as a normal sharpening job.
Can Old Gas Stop a Lawn Mower From Starting?
Stale gasoline can cause mower starting problems because untreated fuel degrades during storage.
7 Signs Your Lawn Mower Blade Needs Sharpening or Replacing
A mower blade needs attention when it is visibly dull, nicked, worn, damaged, bent, associated with uneven cutting, or linked to excessive vibration.
Why Does My Lawn Mower Lose Power While Cutting?
A mower can lose power while cutting because of a dirty air filter, tall grass, a dirty spark plug, deck buildup, or a dull, bent, or loose blade.
Why Won’t My Lawn Mower Start?
A mower may fail to start because of stale or missing fuel, a dirty or disconnected spark plug, a dirty air filter, or a fuel-delivery problem.
Can You Use Tap Water for Houseplants?
Most common houseplants can often be watered with ordinary tap water, but some species are sensitive to dissolved salts, fluoride, chloride, or softened water.
Do Houseplants Need Drainage Holes?
Most houseplants are safer in pots with drainage holes. Learn why drainage reduces waterlogging and how to use decorative cachepots safely.