Assess your interior plants for the 3Ms - mold, mildew and mushrooms As our days become cooler and damper, we are likely to begin to see more evidence of molds, mildews and mushrooms growing on our plants. I call these, The Three M’s of Autumn. The three M’s occur when conditions are cool and [...]
Aspidistra - Cast Iron Plant Many of us choose plantscaping because we love caring for the diverse plants within our accounts. It's delightful to walk into an account that has a wide assortment of plants that challenge us and stretch our knowledge of the plant world, and our ability to care for them indoors. [...]
Homalomena or 'Emerald Green' Our plant spotlight this month falls upon a newer introduction to our interiorscape field that is quickly becoming a mainstay. The tough and resilient Homalomena is a type of tropical plant found worldwide, especially in the warm and humid climates of Central America and Asia. It has beautiful lush, glossy [...]
Make sure your plants are getting enough sunlight in the fall months October is a great month to assess all of your accounts and make sure everything is in working order before the start of the busy holiday season. Don't be overwhelmed though, here's a quick to-do list for the month of October. Begin [...]
Do you know how to care for your variegated Schefflera if it gets sick? Nursing plants back to health requires the same amount of care you would use to nurse a sick person back to perfect health. In some ways the nurturing process is the same. Both plants and humans, when sick, should stay [...]
Phoenix roebelenii - also known as pygmy date palm A member of the Palmae family, Phoenix roebelenii have gracefully arching, feathery fronds radiating from the center of sturdy trunks. Grown as single or multiple-trunked plants, the durable P. roebelenii or pygmy date palm, tolerates medium light levels (150fc) and mechanical abuse. Palm anatomy Palms [...]
Monstera deliciosa is another plant prone to thrips In caretaking indoor plants, it's not unusual to go for months without ever seeing thrips. This pest tends to run in batches. When you discover thrips on one plant in an account the pest will very likely be on many plants throughout the account. But most [...]
Flying insects can harm your plants Having trouble getting flying pests such as fungus gnats under control? Try controlling them with traps coated with sticky materials. Commercially made sticky traps are pieces of colored cardboard or plastic coated with polybutene-naptha inert rubber polymer. Wow! Long description for such a simple solution! Flying insects are [...]
Do plants actually sweat? How many times has someone pulled you into their office, pointing to their Ficus, saying, “ My plant is covered with bugs!! What are they and what are you going to do about them?” No matter how many times this happens, it can always give you a little start. Your [...]
Protect your plants from wilting Wilting plants can be a wake up call; a warning that something is definitely wrong in the plant’s overall health. Wilted leaves and droopy stems signal internal problems. When you enter your account and see the 17” Rhapis with droopy leaves you need to ask yourself, "Why did that [...]
