Plant Technician Skills

17 06, 2019

Diagnosing Plant Ailments

By |2019-03-26T08:23:29-07:00June 17th, 2019|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Pests, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Diagnosing Plant Ailments

Symptom Possible Causes Take a Closer Look For no apparent reason, the plant is drooping Too much lightToo much water High temperature Kept in draft Is the foliage too pale or warm?Is the soil sour smelling? Does the foliage have black edges? Are there no roots, making the plant easy to remove from the soil? [...]

29 05, 2019

Spotlighting: Ficus benjamina

By |2019-05-06T12:22:13-07:00May 29th, 2019|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Spotlighting: Ficus benjamina

Ficus benjamina (weeping fig), part of the large Moraceae, or Mulberry, family, are native to Southeast Asia, India and Australia. F. benjamina has glossy green elliptical shaped leaves and a light tan colored trunk. Mature plants may produce small, inedible figs. Ficus benjaminas are available in a wide variety of forms including multiple standards, braided, single [...]

27 05, 2019

Every Plant Every Visit

By |2019-03-13T13:56:46-07:00May 27th, 2019|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Every Plant Every Visit

The horticultural technician has a lot to do in a short time. We have a lot of tasks and they need to be done efficiently. Use the following checklist every visit to make sure you are performing a complete and comprehensive observation of your plants. Observe the foliage Are leaves pale (chlorotic), yellow, brown, or spotted? [...]

22 05, 2019

Spotlighting: Hoya bella

By |2019-03-13T12:42:02-07:00May 22nd, 2019|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Spotlighting: Hoya bella

Hoya bella cascading plant Cascading flowering plants are often the highlight of an interior installation. The effect of trailing leaves draws the eye and sparks interest. My very favorite of these plants is the lovely Hoya bella, also known as the miniature wax plant. Hoya bella foliage looks gorgeous whether in hanging pots or [...]

20 05, 2019

The Silent Language

By |2019-03-12T15:35:43-07:00May 20th, 2019|Categories: Customer Service, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on The Silent Language

Good customer service communications flow smoothly and effortlessly. We get a call, or our contact approaches us with a problem or a complaint and we let them know what we will do to correct things and deal with the situation. Simple. Yet sometimes you can tell things have gotten off on the wrong foot and gone [...]

18 05, 2019

The Case Against Ficus Lyrata

By |2019-03-06T12:31:59-08:00May 18th, 2019|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on The Case Against Ficus Lyrata

You've seen them. Ficus lyrata, also known as the fiddle leaf tree, are so in right now. Designers love them, and the dramatic effect they can have on a room. Nearly every new client we get these days asks for at least one Ficus lyrata, and the customer is always right! Right? As many of you [...]

13 05, 2019

Are You an Active Listener?

By |2019-03-05T15:22:44-08:00May 13th, 2019|Categories: Customer Service, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Are You an Active Listener?

When you are having a conversation with your supervisor, client or fellow technician, do you pay attention with your entire body and mind? Or do you find yourself just catching key phrases and editing what they say through your internal filters? Active listening uses a variety of our senses, including sight and sound, in order to pay [...]

6 05, 2019

Oh! Oh! Oedema!

By |2019-03-05T08:45:50-08:00May 6th, 2019|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Oh! Oh! Oedema!

A Dracaena deremensis 'Warneckei' in good light can develop leaf blotches that are troublesome and annoying. A t first glance you may think the plant has bugs that are causing cells to burst as they pierce and suck. But try as you might, you won't be able to find that bug because the source of these [...]

3 05, 2019

Why Plants Need Sunlight

By |2019-04-29T12:13:23-07:00May 3rd, 2019|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Tags: |Comments Off on Why Plants Need Sunlight

Why Plants Need Sunlight All plants need sunlight It’s a simple fact. All green plants need light to survive and grow. Without light they could not exist. They all use light as a source of energy for photosynthesis, a chemical reaction that occurs only in the presence of light. Natural light from the sun, [...]

1 05, 2019

Tool Time for Interiorscapers

By |2019-04-16T09:16:55-07:00May 1st, 2019|Categories: Plant Knowledge, Plant Technician Skills|Comments Off on Tool Time for Interiorscapers

Next to our watering cans, scissors, pruners, and saws rank high on the list of required tools for interiorscapers. They function as an extension of our hands, doing the work of shaping plants, forcing new growth, cutting out diseased limbs and trimming off unsightly leaves. By keeping them clean and sharp, they make plant care easier [...]

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