How To Solve These Common Problems With Your Office Plants

Office plants bring visual interest to what can often be a rather underwhelming interior design scheme, adding some vibrant greenery or colourful blooms and attractively shaped foliage. Plants can also help to maintain good air quality and give workers a mental boost to uplift their mood and productivity. 

However, without regular maintenance, your office plants can begin to suffer. Despite bringing so much positivity and good vibes to your space, these leafy workplace specimens can often suffer from a lack of the correct TLC, whether it’s killing them with kindness or treating them as part of the furniture. Here are some common issues and how to solve them.

Wilting

No one wants to see floppy foliage, so if you notice that your plant is wilting then it’s a sure sign that something is amiss. It’s often assumed that the plant simply needs watering, and indeed this may be the case. However, if this does not help your potted plant to perk up, then more drastic action is needed. 

Try soaking the whole plant pot in water for an hour to fully saturate the roots. However, do not leave it for much longer than this because it might cause the root ball to rot. If this does not work, you will need to remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots. If they smell bad and look mushy, cut the decaying roots away and repot the remaining plant. 

Brown edges

Leaves that are turning brown and crispy at the edges are a very common problem, and the cause can be difficult to diagnose. It could be a sign of physical damage, maybe caused if the plant has been moved or is too near a solid object. It may be a reaction to hard water with a lot of minerals in, so try using purified water instead. 

Sometimes, the leaves could just be old and dying and they will be replaced with fresh new growth in due course. Check what type of conditions the plant prefers, as it may be suffering from too little or too much direct natural light and would benefit from repositioning. 

It could also be that the plant is overwatered. Put a watering schedule in place, and do a fingertip test to check the soil moisture levels before watering. 

Bugs and pests

Unfortunately indoor plants can sometimes attract pests such as gnats, aphids and spider mites. These can undermine the condition of the plant and spread to nearby foliage. If you notice an infested plant, isolate it from the other plants. Placing sticky traps near to the plant can help to control the spread of the bugs.

Eliminating the pest depends on variables such as the type of invading bug and the species of plant. You can research relevant biological control methods online, or you may decide that this is a job for the professionals.