16th May 2023
Office Plant Guide: Plants are essential in an office to create a productive and desirable workspace. There are a few basic rules to ensure your plants not only survive, but thrive. Our Office Plant Guide tells you how.
Office Plant Guide: How to place and take care of them
For a start, it’s important to know where you intend to place the plants, as the needs of each to grow and thrive will vary. Some plants should be positioned next to a window where they have ample sunlight; others are fine with comparatively low lighting. Before you get plants in your office, therefore, you need to consider the following:
Plants need space in the office
Plants need a certain amount of space to grow and develop, so don’t try to squeeze them into tight corners or behind desks. Enough space and good airflow allow plants to maintain their temperature, reduce carbon dioxide in the air, release more oxygen and reduce humidity. On the other hand, a cold, draughty position such as beside an entrance door which lets in cold air every time it opens, will do plants more harm than good.
Keep your plants out of main walkways
Avoid placing the plants where there is a lot of foot traffic as they are likely to get bumped into and suffer damage to the leaves. Keeping them in break rooms or smoking areas could mean a high chance of people throwing their cigarette stubs in the pot. A position too close to a doorway could risk them being knocked over.
Plants don’t like dry offices
Many offices have low humidity levels because of air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. This dries out the air in the office environment for plants including their soil. Therefore, avoid placing them directly under the air stream from an AC unit, and don’t keep them too close to radiators or heaters either, otherwise the foliage may be scorched. Misting them with water daily is very beneficial for them.
Temperature – plants like it consistent
An even temperature regime is another important factor to consider. They may require extra care if your office temperature is turned down during weekends, and especially if the office is closed over the Xmas/New Year break.
Once you have decided where you will keep the plants, the next step is choosing the right ones. You need to ask yourself the following questions:
- What size should they be?
- What kind of look do you want your office to have?
- Will you be able to maintain them or get them cared for? If not, then you could consider replica plants.
Remember to choose the look and size of the plants so that they blend in well with other decorative features.
Plants & lighting
All plants need light, but some varieties need more than others. When choosing plants, you should pay close attention to match their requirements with the amount of light available in their intended positions. For example, a south facing window gets high light, an east/west facing window will get medium light and north facing windows get low light.
Watering your plants
Similarly, all plants need water, but some need more than others depending on both the variety and how much light they have. Often, more damage is done by giving plants too much water than not enough! The best tip is to have one person responsible for watering who checks them on a regular day each week. They should feel the soil first and water accordingly – if it feels fairly wet, don’t add any more!
Soil nutrients help plant growth
The soil needs looking after too because the nutrients it contains become depleted over time. Regular feeding with plant fertiliser should be included in the maintenance programme to ensure healthy new growth, especially at the time of year when daylight hours are lengthening.
Cleaning & trimming your office plants
Every few weeks the leaves of plants should be cleaned with a moist cloth to avoid dust accumulating. They should also be trimmed regularly to remove any yellow or brown leaves and maintain their attractive look.
Use an Office Plant Guide or call in the experts?
We hope you have found this Office Planting Guide useful. However, you may be glad of some experienced advice to design and maintain an office planting scheme professionally. At Valley Provincial, we ensure you get the right solutions for indoor planting in your office space. Feel free to contact us to discuss how you can incorporate some green into your offices.
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