The Hidden Challenges of Office Plants: Why Hire a Professional?

Reaping the benefits of indoor plant life means making sure your plants thrive, not just survive. This is why we urge corporate clients to enlist the help of a professional like Natura, helping you avoid the common pitfalls of amateur plant care. 

Indoor plants have become a staple in interior office design, not just for their aesthetic appeal but also for their ability to improve office wellbeing. However, proper maintenance is crucial if you want your office to reap the rewards of lush, living greenery that feeds into a happy and productive workspace. 

The problem is, most corporate professionals don’t have the time or the know-how to keep their indoor office plants thriving. Many of our clients have previously fallen into the trap of attempting to manage plant maintenance on their own. But, there are several potential pitfalls that can cause plants to die, which is why we will always vote against attempting to go it alone.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

Some of the most basic needs of indoor office plants are often overlooked in the bustling office environment. Understandably, plants might not be your primary concern (even though they are ours!). After all, offices are designed with aesthetics in mind. They’re not designed to meet the needs of specific plant species. As a result, offices easily commit Natura’s 4 Cardinal Sins of Plant Care:

1. Inadequate Lighting
   
   

   Without sufficient natural lighting (or appropriate artificial lighting), some plants are prone to losing their liveliness and can start to droop, whither, or die if not bathed in the right amount of light. Alternatively, some species of plants that should be kept in shaded areas can be overexposed in a sunny spot. Experts will know best which plants will thrive best with the lighting available in your space.

2. Too Much or Too Little Water
   
   

   Many people tend to overwater plants, especially when the plants start to droop or appear unhappy. Overwatering is also a common problem in office environments, where multiple people take responsibility for the office plants. This can waterlog your plants and cause root rot, which is often discovered once it’s too late. Conversely, if no-one takes ownership of the office greenery, plants can quickly become dehydrated, causing irreversible damage

3. Unchecked Pest Infestations
   
   

   Office plants are vulnerable to pests like spider mites, aphids, and fungus gnats, which all thrive in air-conditioned spaces. These types of pests can easily go unnoticed. As with over or underwatering, plants that are pest-ridden are often treated when it’s too late. However, if a plant specialist is around to regularly inspect the plants, they will know what to look out for and can provide the appropriate treatment before the pests can spread to other plants

4. Improper Placement
   

   
   Like humans, plants get stressed, and this can look different from species to species. Some plants wilt, some seem off-color (blackened, bleached, or ragged foliage), and some simply don’t thrive. Most of the time, proper plant placement can make all the difference. As plant experts, we know to avoid placing plants in high-traffic areas or in locations with fluctuating temperatures. We also have the specialized knowledge and tools to care for and maintain larger installations.

The Risks of Amateur Plant Care

It might seem cost-effective (at first) to buy your office plants from the local  big box or general store, but DIY plant maintenance in a professional environment will end up costing your business a lot of money in the long run. 

Even if you’re passionate about greenery, the office is not the right place to experiment with gardening. Anyone assuming they can revive a stressed, sick, or dying plant risks worsening the plant’s condition , especially if it’s not their area of expertise.

Inexperienced caretakers  usually lack the nuanced understanding needed to get indoor plants to thrive. Even with the best intentions, no-one will have the same level of troubleshooting expertise as Natura’s professional horticulturalists. 

Moreover, many plants acquired from local  stores are already in poor condition due to a lack of knowledge and improper care. Getting a professional to source and install your indoor office plants will ensure that they arrive healthy and stay healthy.  

Natura’s Promise

With the expertise and tools needed to avoid unnecessary damage to indoor plants, professional plant services mitigate the risks imposed by novice  plant care through proper sourcing, appropriate placement, and rocksteady maintenance.

Our job at Natura is to ensure the long-term health and longevity of your indoor plants, which is why we train our specialists to:

• Consider the unique environmental conditions of your office space.
• Assess light levels
• Suggest proper plant placement 
• Take responsibility for your thriving plant life.

If you’re looking to avoid the common pitfalls of plant care, it’s crucial to enlist the help of a professional. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know, right? What’s more, you hand over the burden of plant care to a professional who knows what they’re doing, and service is guaranteed. —trust us on this—feels great.

Still not sold on the benefits of professional plant installation and maintenance services? Check out our recent blog post to see what we did for Florida’s law firm Johnson Jackson.