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House Plants/Expert Profile

Darlene K. Kittle

U.S.

Maxed Out

Expertise

I have been a Master Gardener for 20 years and I raise around 300 houseplants a year including tropicals, succulents, and cacti.

Experience in the area

She is also studying the Japanese art of bonsai with tropical plants and is President of the Fort Wayne, IN Bonsai Club.

Education/Credentials

I am not a hortculturist. I am a Purdue University Master Gardener for over 20 years. I have studied plants on a personal level by growing hundreds of plants annually for the last 35 years. I have also studied under several nationally known American Bonsai experts.

What do you like about this subject?

I love the challenge of keeping houseplants looking their best.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

There are always new plants becoming available and raising each one is a new challenge, especially blooming ones.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Any blooming houseplant will bloom more if it is rootbound.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Do you know that epsom salts will help make african violets and other blooming plants bloom more?

Average Ratings

Recent Reviews from Users

User	Date	K	C	T	P	Comments
Jamey	11/17/09	10	10	10	10	Thank you very much Darlene, Wow that .....
Kay	11/15/09	10	10	10	10	Thanks Darlene!
Amalie	11/15/09	10	10	10	10	very fast responce. helpfull as i don't .....
Sheilagh	11/10/09	10	10	10	10	This is a great thing; to be .....
Sheilagh	11/10/09	10	10	10	10	Thank you for your speedy reply. This .....

Recent Answers from Darlene K. Kittle

2009-11-21 cactus houseplant do not know type:

Doris, You can try rooting a still green section of this plant. Cut or break it off of the main plant and leave it lay and air dry for 3-5 days until the cut appears totally dry. Pick up a bag of builders

2009-11-21 Song of India Plant:

Sharon, After you water it you should wait an hour and empty the drain tray so the plant is not left sitting in water. The insects are fungus gnats and the worms are their larva. They are there because

2009-11-20 pothos:

Linda, Rest assured this is not uncommon. Let’s look at those - crying leaves - and try to stay away from being too technical. What Is This Function Called? It is called Guttation - Some refer to

2009-11-20 Plant ID:

R, A little difficult with just the picture of the flower especially when this plant is not normally a house plant. It is a canna lilly that is grown from a large tuber outdoors in full sun. If you

2009-11-19 Fica tree:

Tina, You are watering it too much and the roots are rotting and the soil is molding. You should never water the tree until the soil is dry to within an inch of the bottom of the pot. Either get a water

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