9 07, 2021

What Nutrients do Plants Need?

By |2021-06-12T08:26:19-07:00July 9th, 2021|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on What Nutrients do Plants Need?

What macronutrients do your plants use? Plants use inorganic minerals for nutrition, whether grown in the field or in a container. Many factors influence nutrient uptake for plants. Mineral nutrients can be readily available to roots, could be “tied up” by other elements or by the soil itself. Soils too high in pH (alkaline) [...]

2 07, 2021

7 Pesticide Safety Tips

By |2021-06-12T10:29:56-07:00July 2nd, 2021|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Pests, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on 7 Pesticide Safety Tips

7 Pesticide Safety Tips Learn more about pesticide safety When used correctly, low toxicity pesticides are an effective part of any Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Improperly handled pesticides pose a danger to both the applicator and the surrounding environment. Are you a safe applicator? Do a mental review and evaluate... Do you read [...]

25 06, 2021

Dos and Don’ts of Residential Interiorscaping

By |2021-06-12T08:25:32-07:00June 25th, 2021|Categories: Customer Service, Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Dos and Don’ts of Residential Interiorscaping

Be extra careful when working in residences Chihuly glass, Villeroy and Boch serving dish, Waterford Crystal punch bowl, Chivas Regal and a Peter Max painting. Question: What do these five items have in common? Answer: They are all things you should never touch when servicing plants in a residential account. Palatial plants Palatial plants [...]

18 06, 2021

5 Steps to Prune Ficus Trees

By |2021-06-12T09:07:14-07:00June 18th, 2021|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on 5 Steps to Prune Ficus Trees

5 Steps to Prune Ficus Trees Ficus tree Where should I start to prune? This is their pet Ficus tree; how can I cut it without asking? Is someone watching me? What if I make a mistake? I have no extra time today to prune or clean up a mess. Are these the excuses [...]

11 06, 2021

Vacation for Plant Technicians

By |2021-06-12T08:35:49-07:00June 11th, 2021|Categories: Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Vacation for Plant Technicians

Vacation for Plant Technicians Summer is the time a technician's thoughts traditionally turn into vacation. Though plants never seem to need a vacation, technicians do! Taking a holiday from your daily workload is both refreshing and satisfying and helps you return to work with a dear mind and renewed sense of purpose. Hopefully you also return [...]

3 06, 2021

Cactus Classification

By |2021-06-12T10:39:37-07:00June 3rd, 2021|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Cactus Classification

Cactus Classification Common cactus varieties For your purposes as plant technicians, members of the cactus family are separated into two groups. The desert cactus type: Most desert cactus are found with their roots growing in dry, stony places. This soil typically has lots of sand and not much humus. Rainwater drains away quickly from [...]

28 05, 2021

Plant Spotlight: Cactus 

By |2021-06-12T08:23:54-07:00May 28th, 2021|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Plant Spotlight: Cactus 

What do you know about San Pedro cactus? How can you love a cactus? They are hard to hug, they need their space, they need little nurturing and they love to hang out and do seemingly nothing in the sunshine, except to ask us for food or drink. This fascinating group of plants makes [...]

21 05, 2021

Variegated Leaves Explained

By |2021-06-12T08:23:42-07:00May 21st, 2021|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Variegated Leaves Explained

Caladium leaves are variegated All leaves develop from a small mound of meristematic cells near the tip of a stem. At this primordia level all leaves look pretty much the same. But from the leaf primordia of Ficus trees - simple, pinnately veined leaves develop. From the leaf primordia of Fatsia, multi-lobed palmately veined leaves [...]

14 05, 2021

Useful Tips for Insect Season

By |2021-06-12T08:23:29-07:00May 14th, 2021|Categories: Budget & Revenue, Plant Knowledge, Plant Pests, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Useful Tips for Insect Season

Pesky aphids damage plants Welcome to bug season. With the warmer weather comes the sudden rise in insect populations. A plant that has been “pest-free” in the cooler months is unexpectedly overcome with spider mites. The pothos is suddenly infested with mealybugs. Aphids are feasting on the new growth of your Schefflera arboricola. What [...]

7 05, 2021

Plant Spotlight – Kentia Palms

By |2021-06-12T08:23:11-07:00May 7th, 2021|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Plant Spotlight – Kentia Palms

Howea forsteriana - Kentia palm Howeia forsteriana (kentia palm) is a palm of mystery and beauty. This palm is one of the more commonly used plants in the interiorscape, particularly in low light areas. Its widespread popularity is due to the perfect symmetry of its spreading fronds and proven durability -- it will survive for [...]

Go to Top