5 Signs it’s Time to Replace Plants
Maybe it’s time for new plants?
Many of us choose plantscaping because we love plants. When a plant suddenly dies in our care we grieve the loss, for in some unique way we have lost a friend. Perhaps harder yet for us is when a plant has a long dwindling downward spiral and we have to make the decision to replace it. It’s hard to give up on a friend.
In the hopes of making the decision a bit clearer and easier, here are 5 signs it’s time to replace plants.
It’s time to replace a plant when:
1. the plant dies suddenly
2. the plant deteriorates in health and appearance so as to become a lessor specification and/or grade, within reason, from that which was originally installed
3. it takes more labor time to try to revive it than it is worth
4. it has overgrown its location
5. when a client requests it
Plant replacement warranty
When you replace a plant you need to remember that this is a business and your paychecks come from keeping clients happy. You may adore and have bonded with that sweet little plant, but that puny 8-leafed Spath just at the front reception desk is not a satisfactory statement in today’s plantscaping world. Replace it.
Common warranty policy states that the interioscaper will be responsible for situations where you have caused the plant’s demise (death by drowning, out of control bug populations, poorly performed pruning, etc.). The client usually will have to pay for the cost of a replacement for situations they cause (temperature fluctuations, vandalism or theft, introduction of any fluids or toxic gases to the plant’s environment, etc.). A gray area is old age. Some plant companies guarantee for it, others will expect the client to pay for this replacement.
Most companies state the replacement plant should be the same size and variety as was in place at the beginning of the service contract. This means a 10″, 5-foot-tall corn installed in 1980, which has now grown to a 9-foot-tall plant, will be replaced with a 10″, 5-foot-tall plant. This can sometimes be hard for the client to stomach when they see a much shorter plant than they are used to standing in the corner.
To every thing there is a season
When to replace a plant is often a judgment call. Think through the factual criteria of your plantscaping contracts to help with your decision. Then, look at the plant from a critical point of view. What conclusions do you draw? Perhaps it’s time to let go!