We are often asked how to take good care of your plants. This page will help you with several tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your plant. Bear in mind that each plant has its own individual needs and preferences. On the product page, you will find additional information about the plant. The tips below should help you get a general picture of taking care of your plants.

Winter protection

When do I start protecting my plants?

How can you make sure your plants get through winter? First, make sure you know the hardiness of your plants. This is given on each product's page. The hardiness is a recommendation on when to protect your plants. It is good to protect your plants a few degrees earlier than this. However, do not protect (semi)hardy plants too early, as that will spoil them. Once spoiled, they are not used to cold temperatures as much and may not be as resistant as could be. 
 

How do I protect my plants and palms?

• Place, where possible, your plants in a sheltered location. Ask yourself which winds are coldest (often eastern winds, but it may vary per location). Shelter them against cold winds.
• Plants in a pot are less hardy. Help potted plants by placing the pot slightly higher than on ground level, so that frost does not enter the pot from below.
• Use mulch, such as tree bark, leaves or straw, to protect the soil above the roots. 
• For protection, use materials such as jute or blankets that allow the plant to breathe through. That way, the plant will not suffocate, and you will significantly decrease the chance for fungi to grow. Any material will do to protect the pot
• Do not leave your plants in protection too long. As soon as it is a bit warmer, open up your plants so they can get fresh air. 
• Young plants are more vulnerable. Protect them more and earlier.
• Freshly planted plants are more vulnerable as well. They have not produced a lot of roots yet. We recommend planting exotic plants after the last frost of winter, so that they have the entire year to root and develop. 

Fertilizer

Many plants thrive when they receive fertilizer. It stimulates growth and solves any problems related to a mineral deficiency (often the cause of yellow/brown leaves).  Below you can find some recommendations for fertilizing your plants. 

Fertilizer for palms & exotic plants

• Use palm soil for your palms and exotic plants. This is a special type of soil developed for palms. Palm soil contains osmocotes, a type of fertilizer that 'feeds' your palms based on its requirements. During warmer periods, when the palm grows more and uses more minerals, the osmocotes will 'feed' the palm more. We do not recommend soils from, for example, your supermarket, as often these are developed for local plants and not for exotics. Exotic plants often do not get the minerals they need from these fertilizers. Palm soil is recommended for palm trees, but can also be used well for Citrus plants, Cycas plants, banana plants and many other exotics. 
• Palmbooster is recommended to stimulate root growth for palms. It makes for greener leaves and stronger palms. In addition, it will increase the recovery speed after repotting or replanting your plants, as it decreases the replanting 'shock'. 

• Slow release & soluble palm fertilizers are both a type of products well suited for fertilizing your palms. Slow release fertilizer is an easy-to-use fertilizer that you can use for your palms. After 3–4 weeks, it is generally dissolved, after which you can use it again. Over-fertilizing is almost impossible.  
  Soluble fertilizer is a soluble alternative to the slow release. Add the fertilizer to the water before watering, then simply water your plants. 

Fertilizer for other plants

Many plants have their own preferred fertilizer. Although the slow release fertilizer & the soluble fertilizer can be used for most plants, there are often good alternatives as well. To make it easier for you, we have added recommended fertilizers to most of our products. For example, you can find pine fertilizers on the product pages of most of our conifer trees. Simply check the related product's page for recommendations. 

If you still are not sure which fertilizer to use, feel free to contact us!
 

Pests and diseases

Do you have lice or mites? This can often be resolved by spraying them off with water or by using spiritus on your plant. Lice and mites are generally not harmful for your plant, unless they are left to multiply too much. If water or spiritus does not work, you can also use Anti Red Spider Mite. This is a non-chemical product that uses a ultra-thin film of oil to get rid of the pests. It is completely safe for humans. 

Rotting

Rot is most commonly found at the roots and at the spear or crown of a palm/plant. You can prevent this by removing water near spear/crown and roots. Use well-drained soil (unless explained differently in the product description), such as palm soil. Make sure that pots always have a hole at the bottom so that the water van be drained. Add a dish or clay growing stones.

Rotting of the spear can be prevented by tying the leaves of your palm together, so that no snow can fall into the spear. You can use a lot of things for tying them together, such as tape.

Discolouration

Many palms and plants experience discolourations, such as the leaves turning yellow. This is often innocent, but can also be a sign of trouble for the plant/palm.

Old leaves of plants and palms often turn yellow or even brown. In a healthy palm, this only happens with the outer leaves (the oldest leaves). This is completely normal. You can cut these off, so that the palm can spend its energy on new leaves instead.

Should the inner leaves, or possible even the spear, suffer discolouration, then you may have to take action to recover your palm. Below, you can find possible reasons for discolourations: 

• Mineral shortage: A common problem is a lack of minerals. This can often be solved by adding fertilizers. See the paragraph about fertilizers above.
• Soil: Another common reason for discolouration is the usage of the wrong soil. Not every soil is suited for every plant. Important is that the soil is well drained. Some soils leave salts behind that can colour discolouration. Although mostly harmless, we do recommend repotting your plant is more suitable soil.
• Water: We often see water as the cause of discolouration as well. If a plant receives too much or too little water, it may turn yellow. A low air humidity (for example close to heating) can cause leaves to even turn brown. 
• Sunburn: Plants, just like humans, can get sun burn. If a plant is not used to being in full sun (like in our greenhouse), it is recommended to slowly let plants adapt to more and more sun. A period of 1–2 weeks should do. If you do not let them adapt over time, plant leaves can appear burnt (often brown or black). Bear in mind that some plants, such as most ferns, require a location that is sheltered against too much sun. Although sunburn generally is not too damaging to the plant, affected leaves will not recover.  
• Soil pollution: Soil pollution can also be a cause. Nearby artificial grass can be a cause, but there are many things that can be the cause for ground pollution.
• Cold/Frost: Many plants are affected if they experience (too much) cold. This is often most visible just after winter's end. New leaves should recover, but generally it is recommended to protect your plant at appropriate times. 
• Too little light: Some plants require a lot of light. If they are not placed in a location with the required light, they may discolour as well. Try putting them in a spot with more light, if possible. 
• Season: Maybe it is unnecessary to say so, but the season can also be a cause for discolourations. This is not only the case for deciduous plants. This is most visible around Fall, but not exclusively. 
• Shock: Shock can be a reason for discolouration. Plants can experience 'shock' for a short period if they have been replanted/repotted. It can rarely also happen with plants that have been in transit for a longer period. Shock will always recover if given a bit of time.