What causes plants to fade? You walk into your favorite account looking forward to caring for your long-time plant friends. To your surprise, you notice that some of them are starting to fade, slowly loosing their healthy luster. What's going on? Here are the top 10 reasons why plants wither and slowly die in [...]
Colorful Heliconias Did you know? Heliconias are plant favorites! This bold tropical plant with large decorative leaves looks like a cross between a banana and a Spathiphyllum. The neat thing is that even in interiorscapes, they will bloom with very exotic looking flowers sure to thrill your clients! Heliconias in the wild Heliconia originally [...]
Hoya leaves hold on to water Water is one of the key elements for any landscape business. You need water to keep plants alive, and during the long, hot days of summer you use plenty of it. When water supplies get tight, your customers may look to you to make adjustments to cut back [...]
Sago palms are a good choice for top-impact areas When you walk onto a large job site and there are so many plants to care for it may be hard to decide where to begin. Oftentimes, you start where you enter the account, which is usually at a back entry. You spend time doing [...]
Dracaena marginata is prone to spider mites The month of May might bring up lovely images of fresh spring flowers for some people, but it also brings nightmarish pictures of multitudes of spider mites living on interior plants. When warm weather hits and the day length gets longer, mites are having a feast. Mites [...]
Plant diseases will change the appearance of a plant A broad definition of a plant disease is any condition in which a plant varies in some way from a normal/healthy plant either in structure or function. The plant can appear to be shorter, have more, less or deformed branches and fewer leaves that somehow [...]
What are the elements of good potting soil? The next time you add more potting soil to the plants in your accounts, you may be wondering what all those granules you see in the soil are? Here's a quick and simple guide to the beneficial elements found in good potting soil. Perlite: What is that [...]
Caryota mitis - Fishtail palm What is the correct way to trim a fishtail? Do I use pinking shears or just cut straight across? The answer to this question is of course neither... if you are needing to trim tips, it’s because you are doing something terribly wrong in caring for the plant. Many [...]
Many insects affect plant health About 10,000 years ago, the last of the Pleistocene glaciers had retreated and it was the dawn of a new age for humans. Someone picked some seeds from a favorite grain plant and saved them. Then, in a favorable place where game was plentiful, this person planted these seeds. [...]
Use pesticides responsibly Sometimes it's necessary to treat the plants in your care with pesticides. Their health is important and yours is, as well. Always be sure to apply these 10 safety tips the next you use pesticides. Always read the label and follow the instructions exactly. Never eat, drink or smoke while using [...]
