While many people are not aware of it, the fact is that indoor plants act as nature’s very own air purifiers. Many scientists have now suggested that it is very important to use air-purifying plants in both your home as well as your office to help detoxify the atmosphere in the space where you live and breathe.
According to a study conducted by NASA, there are quite a few air-purifying plants and their associated microorganisms have the potential to detoxify your home from air pollutants, various toxins, and bacteria.
It has now been confirmed that the more plants you have in your home, the easier it is for them to work collectively and make a substantial difference in the overall quality of the air inside. They are also known for their calming effect, reducing stress and improving your wellbeing. Best of all, indoor houseplants are now part and parcel of many interior design books. In fact these plants are now rapidly becoming a trend that is here to stay!
Let’s take a look at which plants make great investments in terms of increasing the air quality in your home.
Baberton Daisy (Gerbera)
Gerberas are some of the prettiest plants out there and not only does it help to inject a cheerful burst of bright orange, red, pink, or yellow, into your home, it is also a highly effective cleanser. It rids the air of many common toxins that are typically found in household equipment. This includes trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, as well as benzene which are found in a vast range of different household materials, such as paints and many common synthetic fibres.
You should place the plant in a room where there is plenty of natural light while trying to keep the soil reliably moist, but with adequate drainage.
Snake Plant (Sansevieria)
The snake plant also goes by the rather tongue-in-cheek name “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue.” Once you place this plant in your bedroom, you can rest assured that you will be in for a really good night’s sleep. It belongs to the succulent plants’ group and this particular yellow-tipped succulent has the capacity to release plenty of oxygen at night.
Furthermore, the Snake Plant is also one of the best plants when it comes to filtering the air in your home of the toxic chemicals formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene, and trichloroethylene. While it thrives as a potted plant, you should be careful not to overwater this plant as its roots are prone to rot in excessively moist soil.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Peace Lilies are popular for their glossy leaves and elegant white flowers, but they are also rated one of the best for improving air quality. These plants neutralise toxic gases like benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide making your home a safer and cleaner place. They will even improve the humidity of a room, boosting it by up to 5%.
With their calming good looks and air purifying abilities, they make a great choice for enhancing the tranquillity of your bedroom to ensure a better night’s sleep. Give your Peace Lily a bright spot away from hot direct sun and it will thrive with minimal upkeep.
Placement of Air Purifying House Plants
All these plants must be placed carefully if you are going to utilize them properly, while simultaneously making sure that your home looks as nice as possible. If the plant is unable to flourish then it won’t be able to do its job, so it’s important to ensure that you provide the best growing conditions for your plants.
Consider their light requirements as some prefer hot sun, while other enjoy a shaded spot. If their leaves become scorched then they will be less effective at purifying the air. You’ll also need to learn how much water each plant requires, and remember to feed them regularly too!
You may even need an unassembled cabinet to store all the equipment one needs to grow plants indoors. It will save you the hassle of going outside to the shed to fetch tools for your houseplants each time they need some attention.
Houseplants are an awesome way of purifying the air in your home in a perfectly safe and 100 percent natural manner. There are plenty of plants that can detoxify your home, and purify the air you breathe in your living space so it’s well worth investing in a few.
Since I was a kid, I always found myself in the kitchen whenever there was something cooking. Even though none from the family was occupied with cooking as a profession, my mother was very fond of cooking and baking. She actually was the one that sparked my motivation and love for the kitchen. I grew up believing that the dinner table is that safe bubble for the family after long and dynamic days, my mother’s meals always brought us together. Seeing that, my parents got me into cooking classes which made me fall even more in love with it. I continued to chase this dream of mine through the years. I’ve been working with a local restaurant for 4 years now, as I am also about to finish my culinary studies. There’s nothing that makes me more happy than seeing people who put in practice and enjoy my advice. Such, I also take joy in sharing my tips with audiences via guest posting from time to time.
Gone are the days when plants were restricted to balconies or gardens. In modern decor, they are being given a place in the drawing-room, the kitchen, and even the bedroom. Apart from adding to the beauty of your indoor spaces, plants also purify the air and make the environment healthy. They regulate the levels of oxygen in the air and reduce carbon dioxide.
These plants are not even expensive and also work to uplift people’s moods and cheer them up. Now, having plants in your house isn’t as easy as it sounds. Therefore, in this article, we shall be addressing ways to keep your plants healthy and take good care of them.
There are many plants (especially, the tropical ones) that can be grown in small pots in your home. Sansevieria, Philodendron, Pothos, ZZ plant, and most succulents make excellent indoor plants.
A good indoor plant must have two basic properties. It should be able to grow in less humidity and less light than most outdoor plants. It also shouldn’t grow at a rapid rate, since you have limited space indoors for plants.
Here are a few plants that are perfect for being grown indoors.
A low maintenance plant which will not consume much water and can even survive periods of drought (when you are away on holiday). This plant also does not require much light to grow making it useful for shaded corners of your home.
These plants are mostly planted for their attractive foliage but they will also grow in a wide range of light conditions and do not grow particularly quickly.
These plants are very easy to grow, even for beginners, and cope very well with indoor conditions. Climbing Philodendrons can be trained to make use of vertical spaces making them especially versatile.
How to take care of your indoor plants:
Choosing the right plants to grow indoors will make caring for them so much easier. Different plants need different kind of care. Therefore, a suitable amount of research must be done to ensure that plants are taken good care of. Here are some tips that could help you get the best from your houseplants.
You must make sure that the soil in which you have planted your plant isn’t too dry or too moist. Take the time to learn what moisture level you plants require as they will all vary.
Choose a pot that has holes in its bottom, so that excess water can be drained away through it to prevent waterlogging.
Ensure that your plants receive appropriate amounts of light (either artificially or naturally). Again, take some time to learn what light levels your chosen plants require and then position them with this in mind.
You could choose some small plants like Chinese Money Plant and Begonia rex and place them on your desk in your workspace, or on a windowsill or shelf. Some plants that are a bit larger are better positioned as a table centre piece or stood on the ground in your living areas to create a focal point. Philodendrons, Monstera and Kentia Palms make good choices.
By using potted plants, you can implement some home remodeling changes, adding those finishing touches to your interior design.
Conclusion:
There are many other benefits of having indoor plants. They increase the amount of oxygen in the air, make the air fresh, uplift your mood and also add to the decor of your house. There are so many houseplants to choose from that you are sure to find one to suit your style.
Since I was a kid, I always found myself in the kitchen whenever there was something cooking. Even though none from the family was occupied with cooking as a profession, my mother was very fond of cooking and baking. She actually was the one that sparked my motivation and love for the kitchen. I grew up believing that the dinner table is that safe bubble for the family after long and dynamic days, my mother’s meals always brought us together. Seeing that, my parents got me into cooking classes which made me fall even more in love with it. I continued to chase this dream of mine through the years. I’ve been working with a local restaurant for 4 years now, as I am also about to finish my culinary studies. There’s nothing that makes me more happy than seeing people who put in practice and enjoy my advice. Such, I also take joy in sharing my tips with audiences via guest posting from time to time.
We all know how tasty fresh vegetables are in meals and salads. However, no matter how well you seem to time your visits to the grocery store, finding the freshest of produce is mostly by sheer luck. Growing your own vegetables gives you a break from grocery store trips while ensuring that you enjoy the freshest of veggies grown organically all year around.
Besides that, gardening is a rewarding task that brings a lot of good to your life. Being around greenery calms the mind, which alleviates signs of stress and anxiety. Additionally, gardening provides a perfect escape from the daily hustles of life, which allows you the break necessary to keep yourself balanced. While it can feel daunting at first, growing your own vegetables isn’t that hard. Here are some tips to get you started.
Getting a good harvest from your vegetable garden depends on how well you provided the right conditions for healthy growth. And, providing the right conditions starts with picking the right location for your garden. Here are some guidelines for you:
Sunny area
Light is a necessity for the growth of any plant, and most vegetables do well when exposed to about 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. You need to pick a place in your garden that receives sun for the most part of the day. However, this is not to say that you can’t start a vegetable garden if you don’t have a backyard. You can grow some vegetables and culinary herbs indoors or in a window box, and still enjoy a good harvest. If you have a southern or western-facing window, that should be the location of your garden as such windows let in a considerable amount of sunlight.
However, if your house is limited in terms of light, you can grow your plants under grow lights. LED grow lights mimic the sun through technology to ensure that your plants get the full spectrum of the light.
A spot that drains well
When plants sit in soggy soil for too long, they end up having root rot and eventually die. In this case, you need a place that drains well and is not prone to floods. You also want it levelled well to avoid soil erosion.
If you don’t have such a space in your garden, consider planting your vegetables in raised soil beds. If you are growing them indoors, go for the potting mix that drains well and pots that have holes at the bottom.
When you think about how much money you spend on vegetables, you can easily be enticed to grow every vegetable that you see in the grocery store. However, it is good to start with a few and continue adding more as you perfect your gardening skills. But before you get to decide which vegetables to grow, you need to consider the weather in your area first. If you live in a place that is mostly hot, vegetables that prefer a cooler climate might not do too well. Make sure that you do your research thoroughly.
A good guide on the vegetables that you can start with is in your meals timetable. Consider growing the vegetables that you spend the most money on. It would be a waste of time and resources growing vegetables that are rarely used in your kitchen unless you are doing it as a business.
3. Have the necessities ready
Before you start growing your vegetables, you need to ensure that you have everything that you need throughout the process. For starters, you need the right tools to prepare the soil for planting. Such tools include a trowel, shovel, and garden rake. You also need a watering can, hose or sprinkler for watering your plants.
If you are growing them on the windowsill indoors, you need to have pots, potting mix, and trays to place the pots on. You also need a small watering can as well.
Whether you are growing your vegetables indoors or outside, you need high-quality seeds or seedlings. Be sure to get them from a reliable supplier.
Most seed packets come with instructions on how to prepare the soil for planting and how you should plant them. Otherwise, ensure that you dig down your soil to loosen it. Next, remove all the weeds and apply fertilizer. Next, make small troughs in the soil to put in the seeds. If you have an indoor garden, you can use your hand to make troughs. In addition, ensure that you are using a rich soil mixture.
However, you need to make a few considerations when planning your garden. For instance, if you are growing tall vegetables such as sweet corn and pole or runner beans, you need to put them in the farthest part of the garden to avoid shading the shorter plants.
Likewise, plants that don’t like a lot of sun should take the shadier part of the garden. You should also consider staggering plantings by a few weeks if you want a constant supply. This way, you have another lot coming up after every harvest.
Vegetables require regular care. If you are to grow your vegetables successfully, you must be prepared to put in the work in taking care of your plants. Ensure that you are weeding, pruning, and watering your veggies as required – but with proper care and attention you can enjoy the flavour of your own home grown crops.
Since I was a kid, I always found myself in the kitchen whenever there was something cooking. Even though none from the family was occupied with cooking as a profession, my mother was very fond of cooking and baking. She actually was the one that sparked my motivation and love for the kitchen. I grew up believing that the dinner table is that safe bubble for the family after long and dynamic days, my mother’s meals always brought us together. Seeing that, my parents got me into cooking classes which made me fall even more in love with it. I continued to chase this dream of mine through the years. I’ve been working with a local restaurant for 4 years now, as I am also about to finish my culinary studies. There’s nothing that makes me more happy than seeing people who put in practice and enjoy my advice. Such, I also take joy in sharing my tips with audiences via guest posting from time to time.
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