Plant Care
One of the fundamental rules when caring for indoor and outdoor plants, both indoor and outdoor, is learning more about each species individually. A plant may prefer full sun or partial shade exposure; humidity levels could differ; what fertilizer type they need, etc. – all this information will ensure their well-being and ensure their best possible future performance.
After receiving or purchasing your plant from a nursery, taking note of its needs, such as light levels and temperatures, temperature range, and soil type, is vital in making an accurate assessment. Also, keeping an eye out for any issues like powdery mildew, strange spots, or yellow leaves is critical to identify them early and treat them accordingly.
Watering your plants regularly is another essential component of their well-being. Too much or too little may cause your plants to drown; too little and they’ll cease growing correctly. Establish a consistent routine for watering to ensure optimal soil moisture. Moisture levels in your soil should remain moist yet not soggy to protect its roots from becoming either too wet or too dry, resulting in healthier hearts overall.
Plant Maintenance
Plant maintenance is a critical element of plant care. This involves inspecting equipment and identifying faults to minimize downtime and ensure safety, either as part of a planned program or on short notice in emergency response situations. Defects identified during maintenance can often be addressed quickly and efficiently to prevent further damage to equipment or potential risks to those using it.
Proactive plant maintenance is the most cost-effective way to extend equipment lifespan and minimize production delays. A successful schedule should include calendar intervals, equipment uptime monitoring, staff skill level considerations, and tools/spare availability. A central asset management system (CMMS) can automate and optimize this process.
Staff charged with plant maintenance should consult manufacturer guidelines when maintaining equipment and create an efficient shift schedule to be available when maintenance work needs to be performed. They should also have procedures for reporting any faults or issues with machinery to their manager as soon as they occur while ensuring work can be performed without risk to either workers or equipment.
Understanding how different plants grow and flourish in their natural environments is essential in selecting which will thrive best in your space. Considerations include light, water, and temperature conditions and foot traffic exposure, which could affect their health and lifespan.
Run-to-failure maintenance strategies are the go-to choice, where equipment and assets are run until they break down, often at great expense in terms of downtime and production delays while replacement parts are sourced and installed. A more effective strategy would be predictive maintenance strategies that utilize sensors and monitoring equipment to detect early signs of failure before performing maintenance and address them before failure occurs.
