Tips for Grooming Tropical Plants

Indoor tropical plants can add a wonderful appearance to a room or office but they need a little maintenance to continue to look their best.Remove yellow leaves: When a leaf on a tropical plant begins to yellow we remove it as soon as we see it. Yellow leaves will not return to their former green color; they are dying. It doesn’t mean that the health of the plant is compromised because part of the growing process is for a plant to periodically shed older leaves as it grows new ones.Remove damaged and “tipped” leaves: Tropical plants can sustain leaf damage in transport. The resulting creases and cuts won’t heal so we remove the entire leaf to improve the overall appearance. Leaves that have noticeable yellow/brown tips at their ends are also best removed. Some people trim these leaves to remove the discolored area but the “tips” will reappear. This “tipping” of ends of leaves is usually caused by continual over watering of the plant.Clean the leaves: There are a few methods we use to clean leaves of tropical plants at our office accounts. The easiest is dusting occasionally with a feather duster or Swifter duster. One can also wet a rag or paper towel, then hand wipe the leaves. We also use a commercial leaf shine called Pokon to improve the appearance of plants.Prune taller stems: On woody plants like Aralias and Ficus, we prune taller and longer stems to shorten them and keep the overall look of the plant in balance. Tropical plant stems grow longer at variable speed so it’s easy to have some of the plant foliage appear too long or tall. Pruning is process that will shorten the stem and allow growth to start just below the cut end of the plant. It’s an important part of tropical office plant maintenance.

Everliving Greenery provides tropical plants for your lobby that accommodates the size and aesthetics of your space no matter the size. We provide the best interior landscape service available because we have a true desire to keep the plants under our care healthy and attractive all times. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.