What's a plant you once found difficult to care for but eventually learned to understand?
A plant that I once found very difficult to care is a peace lily. My teacher gave it to me to help it bounce back because it was droopy and the tips were brown, I tried so much! I re-potted it and saw that it had a bunch of new roots coming in and new babies coming in, I cut off the droopy and crisp leaves, gave it a bunch of sunlight and watered it when it went dry. But all of that didn't do anything! every leaf that came in was still so droopy! So I cut all of the leaves off to start over. And still that didn't work. So I had tested to see if it was the humidity, so I sprayed it and got a tiny mist sprayer. Everyday I spray its leaves and she has been thriving ever since I started to do that :)
How do seasonal changes affect the way you care for indoor plants?
Seasonal changes affect the way you care for indoor plants because in the summer time the heat causes drier air so that means less humidity and most plants absolutely love humidity and in the summer time the plants often need to be watered more often due to warmer temperatures, the days get longer and shorter, the light from the sun shifts, winter brings slower drying and which some people forget and there still on summer schedule so they just water their plants without checking to see if the plant really needs the water, Along with the heat all the way up during the winter time can dramatically drop humidity levels which will lead to brown crispy leaves, and during the winter it's not a good idea to fertilize your plants because there growth slows which means they require little to absolutely no fertilizer. You should always pay even more close attention to your plants when there's a season change, they may not be able to talk to us verbally, but they talk to us through there appearance.
During a visit, you discover standing water in several decorative pots. What would you check and report?
If I ever discovered standing water in several pots, I would smell the dirt to see if I can smell root rot, and if I do smell root rot I would explain to the owner the situation that I suspect root rot in several of their plants and I would ask the owner if it would be okay if I could repot the plants that I suspect have root rot. Once I get permission i would repot them, and politely give the owner tips on how to properly water their plants. I would explain to always take the pot out of the decorative pots when they water their plants and let it drain all the way before ever putting it back into the decorative pot, and to always check the next day after they water their plants to check and see if any water is in the decorative pot, and if there is to dump it out.
What information would you want from a plant owner before agreeing to care for their collection?
The information I would want from a plant owner before I agree to take care of their collection is: How much sunlight do they give to their plant a day? When did they last fertilize? What brand of fertilizer do they use? When was the last time they fertilized? How often do they water? Do they use a grow light? How many will I be taking care of? How big are they? How long will I be taking care of their collection? Do they want daily, weekly, or monthly checkups? What temperature are their plants used to? What humidity level are their plants used to? Do they want me to trim their plants? how often do they repot their plants? Can I use products if I notice gnats? If I'm not able to go to their house can they drop and pick their plants up from my house? how much are they willing to pay?
Beyond keeping plants healthy, what do you hope people experience when they hire you?
other than keeping people's plants healthy, I want them to experience nothing but the best interaction they've had, I want them to come back to me, I will have them leave their plants with me and leave with confidence and a smile. They will leave knowing that their plants are going to be amazing with me. I hope they have the best experience they ever had with me. I will keep them updated, and before doing anything major like re-potting, I will consult them and get there permission, they will know that I understand how their feeling. I will do anything and everything in my power to get them to leave with a big smile! I will give their plant / plant's back looking better and thriving more than when they first gave me them! I will make sure to use filtered water instead of chemically tap water and make sure to tell them that I'm using filtered water