Live plants losing color, flowers, or foliage prematurely? It can be some minor issue you can fix yourself. Then again, it can be something serious and totally beyond your level of expertise. Either way, making the wrong move can get your plants killed.
How do you tell whether a problem can be handled on your own or requires a professional plant service and maintenance agency? You can discern the answer by watching out for signs of serious health and growth-related issues:
Signs that you need a plant care service
- Stunted growth
Are your new plants not growing as fast as expected? Has your plants’ growth slowed down compared to the last growing season? Has there been a drop in their fruit/floral output? These are all signs of stunted growth.
Most plant growth-related issues are caused by some form of environmental stress. The plants might be receiving the wrong quality, quantity, or duration of light. They might be subjected to unfavorable temperatures. Or they could be suffering from a lack of aeration.
Unsuitable soil pH, poor drainage, and low nutrient content are some other common reasons your plants may be stunted. If you lack in-depth knowledge and experience of growing and caring for the plant variety that’s facing these issues, it’s advisable you immediately contact a plant care service.
- The interior/exterior design lacks harmony
Does your place have a showroom or catalog vibe? Does it feel cluttered? Do the interior plants stand out from the rest of the décor? Dissonance in design can stem from a lack of experience in designing with plants. Wrong plant choice is another common reason.
If you’re having trouble finding the right plant for a particular spot, theme, or color scheme, reach out to a plant design service. Their experts can introduce you to plant varieties you never knew existed or could be grown in your location. They can also offer you ample plant choices for every spot, design theme, and color scheme.
- Sick plants
Sick plants need immediate care. The wrong treatment can kill them. It can also allow the infection to spread to the rest of your plants. Trouble is, identifying plant diseases isn’t always easy.
Yellow foliage doesn’t necessarily mean a disease. Some plants, such as Golden Oregano have naturally pale green foliage. In many, the new growth is pale and acquires the color they’re best known for as they mature.
Before calling plant maintenance services, look the plant up by its scientific name and confirm that you have an actual problem.
Here are some common signs of plant diseases:
- The plant’s flowers, foliage and stem all begin to die
- The appearance of black, brown or pale spots on the foliage
- The appearance of water soaked lesions or ooze
- Crinkled leaves
- The appearance of spots on fruit
- Infestations
If your plants are infested by common insect pests such as spider mites, you might be able to deal with them on your own. Easy-to-spot insects can be removed by hand or washed away with a moderately strong stream of water.
If the numbers are too high or refuse to diminish, it’s best you call in plant service.
Here are some common signs your plants have an insect pest problem:
- Yellow patches on the plant foliage
- The appearance of sticky deposits of honeydew on the plants
- Dehydrated looking plants
- Lots of brown dots covering the leaves
- Large holes in the leaves
- Dying plants/trees
Dying plants and trees can infect other plants in the surroundings, causing them to die out as well. Here are some common indicators that a plant or tree is dying:
- Unnatural structure
Are your plants or trees leaning to a side or have developed an odd shape? Poor pruning and damage from strong wind or rain are some common causes.
- Visible decay
Dead branches are the most obvious sign of decay. The plant’s base can start to expand. Brittle branches, softwood, the appearance of cankers, and mushroom-like spores all point to decay. Dried out, dead bark or branches, too, are clear signs your plant/tree is dying.
- Weak joints
Branches growing too close to each other have weak joints and break easily. These appear loosely attached to the plant or tree and are indicative of severe sickness.
- Exotic plants aren’t performing well
Exotic plants pose some unique challenges. The growing conditions have to be just right. Most Tropicals, for instance, require a certain degree of humidity which can be hard to replicate.
Some of the common exotic plant issues are easy to fix. If the plant stem is growing leaned towards a side, it can be due to inadequate light. For verification, check the particular plant’s light requirements.
When looking up information related to plant care and growing requirements, use its scientific name. Many plants share the same common name. Some of these have drastically different needs than their namesakes.
Dull leaves and flower color are another common issues faced by plants that aren’t getting the amount of light they require. You can remedy the situation by supplying the amount, type, and duration of light they need.
Leaves turning brown or yellow can be indicative of a serious issue. There can be several reasons for this, including improper watering and lack of humidity. If you’re uncertain about plant disease diagnosis, it’s best to call in a plant care service.
- Poor floral performance
Flowering plants failing to match the previous season’s floral output? Here are some possible reasons:
- Lack of nutrition
- Improper light conditions
- Extreme, unfavorable temperatures
- Improper irrigation
- Lack of humidity
Bud blast is a condition wherein the flowers die out either before or soon after they bloom. At times, flowers appear to be growing normally before the growth stops.
Thin and dry paper buds, too, indicate a serious issue. This is typically caused by a fungus and calls for immediate removal and careful disposal of the affected plant tissue. If you lack the time or the know-how, it’s advisable to call in a plant care service.
Most live plants require at least a little regular attention. If you can’t spare time and only require plants for a short period, we’d recommend you contact plant rental service.
Plants are the world’s only sentient décor implement. Their visual impact is directly linked to how healthy they are. Watching out for these 7 signs and getting troubled plants the professional help they require will ensure they live, look and perform their best.
