Tips From Our Grower Susan

Meet Our Grower Susan

A little interview where we pick Susie’s brain for tips and plant stories!

Rome wasn’t built overnight and neither is our company (and we’re still building btw!). Our journey started back in 2017 and originally we were working with just Air Plants and terrarium kits- we would store, pack and ship out a spare bedroom in our co-founders parents’ home. Then we moved on to a home/office setup, where we turned our garage into a packing station, the backyard into a greenhouse, and our living room into an office space. We’re currently still using our living room as office space but we’ve upgraded our greenhouse/ packing station!

Meet Susan, our very first supplier, and now our trusted advisor as well.

In 2018, we found Susan, who at the time was looking to rent out part of her greenhouse.

It was as if the heavens had noticed our dedication and wanted to give us a break because not only did we find a greenhouse, we also got the added bonus of a supplier that would be next door to us and a trusted plant advisor! Born and raised in the business, Susan has been running her own greenhouse for almost 30 years since taking it over from her father. We asked Susan if she could spare some time to share some tips that we could share with you, and in a true Susan hospitality manner- she dropped her work and started spilling knowledge-

What do you hope for your plants once they leave the Greenhouse?
I hope my plants find good homes. These plants are my babies, I have committed so much of my time and labor into growing them so that's what I wish for them- to find good homes with committed plant parents.
There is plenty of information out there on how to keep your plants alive, or how to handle pests and damages, so throwing a plant with few yellow leaves or looking a little droopy shouldn't be your first option- plants want to live!

How has growing Houseplants changed you?
My attitude is- everything is alive. And no plant wants to die, look at cuttings- they are cut off from its mother but they still will try to grow its own roots and survive. Growing plants also teaches you about patience- a full bushy pothos that has long trails takes years of pinching, pruning, and watering.

PLANT Q&A SESSION

To ensure that you’re buying/ getting healthy plants- check the roots! That's where the problems start, if the roots are white then it's healthy, but if it's black, mushy and smells funny then it's probably root rot starting to form.

Any last minute tips?

- Try coffee to get rid of mealybugs! Soak coffee ground in water then mist your houseplants- the acid kills the bugs!

- Neem oils are great but hard on most plants- do your research before using!A tiny amount of Hydrogen peroxide or bleach diluted in water is another effective way to get rid of pests.

And last but not least- Plants are like us- they need drinks(water), food (fertilizer), and fresh air!