Root Cause Garden

Find out what's wrong with your plant, and how to fix it

Diagnose the cause, not just the symptom. Every fix is checked against university extension guidance, with the sources on the page.

What do you see?

Plant doctor Answer three quick questions about your plant and get the most likely cause and how to fix it. Frost dates by ZIP code Your last spring frost and first fall frost, from NOAA data for 7,000+ weather stations. When to plant Planting and seed-starting dates for 17 vegetables, timed from your frost date. Pet-safe plants Check whether 26 common houseplants are safe or toxic for cats and dogs.

Diagnose a problem

Any plant

By plant

Not sure? Use the plant doctor →

Houseplant care guides

Photo credits

When to plant

Vegetables are grouped by how much cold they can take. Enter your ZIP code on any crop page to turn these into dates for your garden.

2–4 weeks before your last frost

Hardy crops

0–2 weeks before your last frost

Semi-hardy crops

Around your last frost

Tender crops

2+ weeks after your last frost

Very tender crops

Groups follow Colorado State University Extension's vegetable planting guide (GardenNotes #720) and Utah State University Extension.

How we research

Every diagnosis and planting time on Root Cause Garden comes from university extension services and other public sources, listed at the bottom of each page with the date we last checked them. Where sources disagree, we say so. Read our editorial policy or learn about the site.

Teachers, garden clubs and Master Gardener groups: our 21 leaf diagrams of plant problems are free to download and reuse with a credit.