Hands-On Plant Care

Each week I personally tend to over 3000 plants in clients' offices. These are all live, indoor, tropical plants and since I have been doing this for more than 25 years, I have come to know them all very well.

An important objective is to keep the plants happy and healthy.

 Sure there are a lot of factors involved including proper feeding, fertilizing, environmental changes, temperature regulation, watering, adequate lighting, pest control, physical damage remediation, client abuse and so on. 

However, one of my best tools is touch.

 I feel my plants on a regular basis as part of my maintenance routine, or visitation, depending on your perspective. The instant I feel the leaves, I absorb an abundance of information about the well being of that plant. The plant 'tells' me about its environmental ups and downs since my last visit, often with great accuracy.


Many times I can tell if the conditions are right, or wrong, for the plant to be attacked by an insect infestation, just by touch. I can then take steps to change the conditions before a problem arises or becomes worse.


Before you think me mad, consider this - you can do it too.  Make touch one of the tools in your plant care and maintenance procedural toolbox. Be gentle. Be firm. Make a mental note of changes to how the plant feels from week to week, season to season. I only get to see each of my plants for about a minute, once a week.  You have the luxury of seeing and touching your plants several times each day.

You will soon become aware of subtle changes to your plants, your friends. You will get to know them better and want to know them better. Be careful touching your cacti; but there are ways to do this too.


Touch your plants - enjoy your plants.

One more thing:

Dracaena marginata staggered

We have a new plant as our in-store featured plant starting today. We have picked the Dracaena marginata staggered, a beautiful floor plant in a 10" grower's pot with 4 or 5 plants per pot.  Overall height is 5-6 feet. We normally sell this plant at $75 and as our in-store featured plant, we have priced it at $45 until Monday, May 7th. Check our website at http://www.plantsforall.ca for more info.


Have a great day!
Brian Osmond