FAQ’s

How to Differentiate an Interiorscape Grade Plant?

As suppliers to interiorscapers, we define an interiorscape grade plant as a beautifully manicured plant. A plant that is disease and pest free, has a robust root system that will be able to withstand stress of a low light interior, and has a finished natural look.

For a grower to achieve this goal means an investment in time, labor, and inputs.

  • Hardier varieties – selecting clean disease resistant cultivars that are able to handle low light levels
  • Using an ample number of cuttings/small plants per pot to give it a nice full look
  • Selecting the proper growing media that provides the roots enough moisture and good aeration, does not shrink away from the pot when dry, maintains structural integrity and a steady pH overtime
  • Ample growing time without forcing plants or causing stress – providing proper water quality, ensuring optimum plant nutrition, providing an optimum growing environment with stable growing conditions by regulating temperatures, light levels, and humidity
  • Providing variety specific nuances to enhance the plants stature – pinching back growth, employing plant growth regulators, spacing plants out
  • Employing a good pest management system where plants are treated in the greenhouse rather than on the interiorscape job – monitoring for bugs and disease, treating plants at the start of an infestation before damage occurs to the plant tissue
  • Good Strong Roots – giving plants enough time in the pot for the roots to extend to the edge of pot which allows the plant to be more equipped to handle the stress of low light interior environments and for blooming plants to support longer-lasting blooms
  • Ensuring healthy roots by using preventative treatments of inoculating soil with beneficial fungus and by treating for water mold and root rot when necessary
  • Properly preparing plants for shipment – manicuring the plant by ridding them of any unsightly yellow or damaged leaves, protecting plants for shipment by using proper sleeves
  • Ensuring plants arrive at their destination in as good of condition as they left the greenhouse
  • Most importantly, Attention to Detail and meeting Quality and Consistency expectations in return for a fair price

Why do I need plants?

YES, we do!

As humans, we have biophilia – an affinity for nature and being around natural things. We are nature-loving, yet indoor dwelling. Having indoor plants is a way to bring the outdoors in allowing you to enhance your space. Being surrounded by indoor plants, people become more productive and more creative – making them great homework helpers for kids. Some plants remove various volatile organic chemicals enhancing the air we breathe. They add humidity to the air when it is dry and absorb the excess humidity when it is too wet. Providing a healthy environment for people while connecting them to nature.

There is a wide assortment of plants out there to decorate with whether your style is casual, traditional, rustic, contemporary, tropical, or just zen. Decorating with plants can be a form of self-expression as well as a form of art. Indeed, green walls are even a form of art on the wall.

Have fun, enjoy plants, and celebrate bringing nature indoors.

What do the notes on the weekly availability mean?

We send out a weekly availability (sign-up for our weekly availability) normally on Thursdays. We have a series of checks with pluses and minuses indicating if we have ample or limited numbers available. You may also see notes indicating if the plants are Short (S), Medium (M), Small (SM), Tall (T), if they have runners that are Short (SR), Medium (MR), or Long (LR). On the Bromeliads, we will also indicate color stage – Low (L), Medium (M), and Medium-High (MH). We recommend MH color plants that are intended to go immediately into indoor environments. We also have notes on which plants we find particularly Nice.

Placing your order and picking-up your plants

For next day service, orders will need to be placed the morning before the order is to be picked-up or delivered, preferably by 10am. Certainly, we will take your orders sooner. The more time you give us, the more time we have to select and prepare your plants for shipment. We are happy to take pre-orders to ensure we will have your plants available for any special orders or interiorscape change-outs. Plants are selected, cleaned, sleeved, and packed the day before the shipment arrives to ensure freshness. We have multiple dock locations to accommodate various sized trucks and orders. We are able to accommodate 53’ trailers. Our experienced crew will efficiently stack our boxes in your truck maximizing space and promptly get your truck back on the road.

How do you select varieties?

Rather than looking for varieties that are inexpensive and turn quickly on the bench, our goal is to select varieties that hold up well in the home and office. We are always looking out for new and improved varieties that may offer better disease resistance, a distinctive look, grows better in our greenhouse, or holds up better indoors. Sometimes it might take a few years to get the first trial started and additional time to build production numbers. Whether or not we will start producing this variety will be determined by how it does in our greenhouse conditions, how it holds up in shipping, and how it holds up in our homes and office. Often we need to commit to numbers with our suppliers before we know our customer demand.

Why is the root system so important?

It is important to build a larger root system so the plant has more reserve energy. This reserve energy will help sustain the plant when it is exposed to less than optimum light, watering, temperature, and/or humidity conditions. If the plant is sent out as soon as the roots start to form, it has less of a chance of success than a well formed plant that had ample times to allow the full development of it’s root system.

What is the proper way to handle a plant during and after transport?

Our plants are acclimated to greenhouse temperature range of 68F to 85F, exposure to temperatures outside of this range will cause stress. When transplanting plants over long distances, it is important the temperature be kept between 55F and 60F. At warmer temperatures, the plants will produce gasses causing which can cause the foliage to wilt and the plant to deteriorate. Upon arrival, plants should be unsleeved immediately to reduce the build-up of gasses in the sleeves. The plants will experience stress coming from a cool, dark truck to a hot environment. It is best to smooth the plants transition from these differing environments. If the plants are normally kept in a greenhouse and the greenhouse is experiencing warm summer conditions, you may want to consider holding them in a low light, cool area and waiting to place your plants in the greenhouse towards the end of the day when the conditions are cooler.

For short day trips, precautions should be taken to prevent the plants from being exposed to the stress of heat and limited air movement. Leaf temperatures need to be kept below 96F. If plants are next to something that is hot (floorboards or side walls), it will transfer heat faster. Insulated flooring, walls, and ceilings of your transport vehicle is important. Also, consider transporting plants in the morning when the temperatures are cooler. Do not allow plants to sit in a closed hot vehicle, this will reduce to longevity of your plant. Make sure the plants are kept away from direct sunlight. If transporting in a vehicle with windows, a white sheet on top of the plants will provide additional protection.