Houseplant Warrior: 7 Keys to Unlocking the Mysteries of Houseplant Care

by Raffaele Di Lallo

Learn to grow a green thumb and become the confident plant parent you’ve always wanted to be! Engineer and plant parent for more than thirty years, Raffaele Di Lallo knows that the world of houseplants can be full of confusing myths and conflicting care advice. But, as a master problem solver, Di Lallo is here to teach you that your own two eyes are your best source for reconciling every plant problem. His surprisingly simple observational practices and an understanding of key habitat and care concepts will make any reader feel like a plant whisperer. From choosing the right plants for your home and perfecting light and humidity levels to mastering watering, potting, and propagation, Di Lallo demystifies every aspect of plant parenting. He provides handy case studies and advice for troubleshooting common mistakes, such as yellowing leaves and overwatering, that help readers develop their own problem-solving skills. Complete with profiles of favorite and lesser-known houseplants, this book is a veritable bible of houseplant care tips for all levels of green thumb. 100 color photographs

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening

208 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2022

Reviews

[Reagan Kapasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked: moist pebble tip and covered all the basics from propagation to troubleshooting. Disliked: needs better photography.

[Kasey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information was decent, but quite repetitive and extremely simple. I had the understanding from the description and the foreward that it would be helpful for intermediate growers, but in the entire book there were only a few novel snippets for me (and I'm only just starting to describe myself as intermediate - I'm far from a master of this art).

Nice pics. The cover on mine was printed upside down (or connected backwards to the book), but it's still a fairly nice object to have around, and the by-species plant care guides at the back might be a good reference.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started following this author on TikTok (PIantTok for the plant lovers). I ordered and then devoured this book! The beautiful pictures are from the author’s own plant collection and he offers sensible advice. I would recommend this to any houseplant enthusiast! Wonder why your leaves are yellow? There could be several reasons and too much water may not be it!

[Smo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt like it covered a lot of basic questions and was very approachable and realistic. I appreciate him not making me go over the top and break my bank on plant care. I love that he gave what he uses and what has worked for him. Felt very formulating in a good way. Check your light then your soil and then branch from there. Would use as a resource in the future especially for soil mix.

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and his evidence-based advice. He inspired me to buy a plant for my new office and to try growing vanilla at home, since I've cared for other orchids for so long. Very helpful, gorgeous pictures.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow his tips and stop killing your plants! Raffaele clears up a lot of confusion out there concerning plant care. (Why has nobody else identified the difference between the Northern and Southern hemispheres when they tell you what window facing works best?)

[Kim Veach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four years ago, when I got serious about turning my black thumb green, I found Raffaele's Ohio Tropics blog. I followed his advice, and now my house is filled with beautiful, thriving plants! I'm so happy to see his advice in this one book. Houseplant Warrior will be my houseplant bible and the one I'll advise others to use.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Mary Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent practical and insightful advice. I appreciated that the photos were attractive but of his own home and collection so realistic as well.

[Cyber Dot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear guidance on houseplant basics. Excellent advice, good illustrations.

This book is ideal for beginners. The information is helpful for anyone who wonders how to be a good plant parent.

[Kristen Faber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information about potting soil mixtures.

[Julia Mcknight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured this and took copious notes! Very accessible advice on common plant issues and care tips.

[Cathy Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new daily handbook on all things plant care.

[Dan Mead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love plants

[Arianna Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful to the wide variety of plants you can grow at home. Will revisit if ever struggling with growth

[Kayse Maass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical and insightful, although the book would have benefitted from a more thorough editing (e.g. author just talked about light intensity and then says let’s introduce another important topic: light intensity).