4 Hacks to Manage Last-Minute Foliage Service Requests

If you haven’t experienced a high-pressure situation where a client has last-minute foliage service requests, chances are good it will eventually happen. The stress usually starts with an email or phone call saying, “Our board members are returning to the office, and our plants need to be at their best. Could you have this done by end of day tomorrow?”

A request like this is typically easy to handle. In fact, when high-quality foliage service is consistent, there is little to worry about. However, since the pandemic, challenges like limited access to client spaces, foliage struggling in dark, vacant rooms, and other unexpected hurdles can cause service levels to dip. Although these issues—along with plant shortages, rising costs, and staffing difficulties—are more manageable now than they used to be, they still pose occasional setbacks, making foliage replacements less prompt than before. Based on my experience in these situations, I’ve come up with four hacks to navigate these issues and ensure a client’s plant display is spot-on within 24 hours.

Enhance Current Foliage

Just like a polishing cloth can make a tarnished silver necklace sparkle again, plant cleaner can give aging foliage new life. Pokon Leafshine aerosol spray is an effective option, enabling you to add shine to plants quickly—similar to the 80s, when I had five minutes to get out the door and doused my hair with Aqua Net. My brother complained about my excessive hair spray use, and if you’re not careful, you may get the same reaction. In other words, when applying Pokon Leafshine, be mindful of nearby people, as some may find its odor offensive.

A concentrate like Pixie Sparkle or neem oil is another option for hard leaf foliage—just dilute with water and wipe or spray directly on the leaves. A soft foliage mitt is a convenient way to clean and apply product to a large surface area without damaging foliage. However, if a mitt isn’t readily available, disposable face masks that many of us still have stored away perform well. Just slip one string around your wrist and the other between your fingers. If you use a mask on each hand, you can apply product to both sides of the leaf simultaneously. 

Dress Up Plants

Sometimes I’m guilty of letting plant dressings deteriorate. However, a simple addition—like adding reindeer moss to a planter—instantly improves the look, drawing attention with a pop of color and texture. Top dressings have an enormous impact on the overall appearance of plant displays, and people take notice. I once used PolyPebbles, left over from a previous job, in a plant display in an executive’s office. The CEO enjoyed the look so much that she requested service for the remaining fourth-floor plants—a decision that brought me unexpected profit. This quick enhancement can be particularly valuable when dealing with last-minute foliage service requests, ensuring the plants look polished and ready to impress.

Replace Foliage Instantly

Obtaining tropical foliage can be difficult, especially within a 24-hour time frame. In atrium accounts where overgrowth is an issue, cuttings from tropicals—such as Dracaena trifasciata, Dracaena Janet Craig, Dracaena warneckei, and Zamioculcas zamiifolia—can be used to fill in aging plants.

For instance, if a Dracaena Lemon Lime plant has become thinner as the stems have grown taller, adding Janet Craig stems into the pot—along with rooting powder—can create a fuller look. The contrast of white and yellow striped leaves against solid dark green creates a pleasant combination.

Hanging foliage can quickly be replaced with cuttings from overgrown pothos or philodendron vines. Simply place them in water inside a decorative hanging container. This will give the trimmings a potted appearance with much less time involved. Some cuttings will not survive, but they will get you through until you can source new replacements.

Rotate and Adjust for Impact

Maybe the simplest hack of all, rotate plants so the fullest, most vibrant side is showing. It takes little time but makes an enormous impact on the display’s appearance. Also, if some bushier plants—such as bamboo palms or Areca palms—have spread wider as they’ve grown, pull the stocks together with thin floral wire to make them appear fuller. Just hide the wire between the fronds, and no one will notice. Finally, ensure all plant stocks are standing straight and wipe down containers to remove smudges.

Although these are temporary solutions, they will immediately improve the look of your client’s interiorscape and reduce the stress associated with managing last-minute foliage service requests, especially when given a 24-hour or less notice.