How to Care for Tropical Foliage Plants at Home

Shane Tinker Enterprises Inc. Has the Expertise and Selection of Tropical Foliage to Beautify Your Home

When you want to add tropical foliage to your Sorrento FL home, turn to the trusted and experienced wholesale nursery with nearly 20 years of experience, Shane Tinker Enterprises. At Shane Tinker Enterprises, we work closely with customers throughout Central Florida to select the right tropical plants to add color and serenity to indoor spaces.

Our relationship with our customers doesn’t end with the purchase. We pride ourselves in serving as a resource for customers on how to care for tropical plants and tropical foliage and keep them thriving for years.

Here are some of the key areas to keep in mind when caring for your tropical foliage. While each species has its own care needs, these tips apply to most tropical plant varieties.

Water

• Use distilled water. Fluoride in tap water can cause leaf tips to burn.
• Make sure to water plants so that water runs out the pot’s bottom. If watering is too shallow, roots won’t grow and stems will be weaker.
• Let soil dry out before watering again. Overwatering can kill roots … which kills plants.
• Boost humidity by using a spray bottle to hydrate plants, keeping plants close together or using a humidifier.

Fertilizer

• Fertilizer should be diluted by half the instructions on a package of fertilizer.
• Most tropical plants should be fertilized 2-3 times during each growing season.
• Do not fertilize a plant during winter months unless the plant is placed underneath lights.
• Flowering plants should be fertilized when buds appear to improve display.

Light

• Plants respond well to fluorescent lights, and will continue to grow rapidly and flower.
• If colors are muted or plants do not flower, insufficient light is often to blame.
• In the winter, the brightest light comes from south- and west-facing windows.

Temperature

• Never place plants near heating vents, which will dry them out and may kill them
• Tropical plants generally do not do well in temperatures below 55. Higher temperatures usually spur more growth.

Insects

• Common household pests such as spider mites or aphids can be killed or deterred with a spray bottle concoction of soapy water.
• Be sure to inspect your plants regularly, including underneath the leaves, for signs of insect damage.

 

Ongoing Maintenance

• Pot plants in the spring before the beginning of active growth. Only increase pot diameter by one size at a time.
• You may need to pinch plants to keep them looking tidy. Pinching back to where a leaf connects to the stem, also known as the node, encourages the plant to branch. Pinching is also best done in the spring.

About Shane Tinker Enterprises

As the top wholesale nursery choice for Sorrento FL residents, Shane Tinker Enterprises works closely with our customers to provide the ideal tropical plant solution for any size home and budget. Our employees love plants and offer a range of services, including nursery and plant brokering, exceptional customer service, plant ordering and tagging, a special spring blooms program, and local delivery.