Stewarts Office Plants

We supply many businesses across the South, from Sussex and Surrey, through Hampshire and Dorset to Wiltshire and Somerset. For more information about the services we offer visit our home page, or contact us here. In this blog you'll find news, interesting snippets, stories and pictures of our staff's adventures out on the road.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Mosspoles, canes or wire frames?

 

Devil's Ivy on a 'mosspole'
It's long been the tradition that trailing plants such as Epipremnum (Devil's Ivy) as shown here, or the old favourite Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera) are grown up a moss-covered plastic pole for support, known in the trade as a 'mosspole' for short. 

However it is increasingly possible to buy the same species grown up either bamboo canes or a wire cage. See image below of Philodendron Brasil (left) and a rather fantastic Scindapsus Trebie (right)that arrived from Holland this morning. 

Many people believe that the mosspole is better for the plant; I suppose in theory if you misted it on a daily basis the plant may gain some moisture from it, but in an office setting the moss is bone-dry and it's simply there for support.

In fact empirically I have found that plants that are available either on a mosspole or on canes/a frame perform far better when they are not grown up a mosspole. 

In particular they seem to last longer and perform better in low light.

Why is that? Short answer: I don't know. 

I suspect that the plant puts more of its energy in to growing strong roots and less in to attaching itself to a pole. But that is a pure guess. If anyone has a better theory, educate me!

Jonathan 

Philodendron Brasil on cage and Scindapsus Trebie on canes


Tuesday, February 09, 2021

The 'biggest Boston Fern' competition heats up!

Well, here's an odd one. 

I've been typing away for something like 15 years on this blog and I'm never sure

Our giant Boston Fern. 
anyone that isn't a close friend or current/former employee is reading it, with one topic exception.

Back in 2012 I wrote a un-serious post about a serious contender for the world's largest Boston Fern, which was under our care in a Hampshire call centre. 

A couple of years ago I was contacted by an American gentleman who was sure his was bigger, and allowed me to post a picture.

Last week I was contacted by an American car dealer who are quite justifiably proud of their Boston Fern: so proud in fact that they are seriously attempting to establish if it is the world's largest, and stumbled upon my blog while doing so. 

It really is a monster; in the words of the owner of the dealer: "The fern measures over 7 feet tall and commands an area that is 8 feet by 8 feet!" 

They are attempting to find out if such a Guinness World Record exists. I think they must be in with a chance. I will update if I hear so. 

Obviously if anyone thinks their Boston fern is bigger than this magnificent specimen, I want to be told!

Jonathan

New contender for world's largest Boston Fern