Planting foliage is in trends these days, we suggest you take a quick scroll through Instagram and it will tell you just how they have become an important part of your home decor.
Indoor air pollution
We clearly do not have access to big gardens, open spaces, as often as we use to have 10 years ago. Our homes have become compact less airy, we certainly have to do something about it as quickly as possible, the addition of these small attractive low maintenance air purifier plants can make a big difference in your lifestyle, they just done purify the air for the fresh breath but also soothes your eyes,
Plants to the rescue
Indoor plants can absorb harmful toxins from the air, especially in enclosed spaces with little airflow. Indoor plants have less horsepower than air purifiers, they’re more natural, cost-effective, and therapeutic.
Plants are also known to:
• Increase productivity
• Reduce stress and fatigue
• Enhance concentration and memory
You ask what makes the air in home impure, you keep it clean and maintain hygiene, what is it that adds impurities to the air in your living space, well, household chemicals come from objects and materials like:
Carpets, glues, ovens, detergents, synthetic materials such as plastic, fiber, and rubber, you’ll benefit the most when you include a variety of plants in a room.
Can indoor plants really purify your home?
People lined their windowsills with greenery in increasing numbers after NASA released a series of studies dating back to the late ’80s, stating that indoor plants could purify the air. Trusted Source
Sadly, it seems there was a little wishful thinking going on back then. Researchers now say you’d need 680 plants in a 1,500-square-foot home for the foliage to truly go to battle against toxins. Trusted Source
But indoor plants have other air-boosting and health benefits that you don’t have to create a wall-to-wall jungle to enjoy. Even a modest amount of foliage might enhance indoor air quality. So why not add a few easy-care plants to your living space?
Why does indoor air quality matter?
Whether sleeping, binging Netflix, or working in an office, we spend about 90 percent of our time indoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. And that time spent inside exposes us to indoor air pollution.
Causes of indoor air pollution
• Furnishings, carpet, upholstery, dry-cleaned clothing, paint, synthetic building materials, cleaning products, pesticides, bacterias, mold, outdoor pollution that enters.
You probably don’t think of your coffee table as emitting gasses, but if it’s made of particleboard, it does. The paint on the walls and the upholstery on the furniture are just some of the other items in a home or office that release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), like formaldehyde, it can make you feel sick.
Headaches, nausea, and fatigue are some of the symptoms, and it’s sometimes called “sick building syndrome.”
Health benefits of air-purifying indoor plants
Although it would make filling your home or office with ridiculously massive amounts of foliage to impact VOC levels, indoor plants can still improve your air quality.
Purifying indoor plants reduce levels of CO2 and increase relative humidity. Trusted Source, In other words, they help get rid of stale air and act as a natural humidifier, which can prevent or ease irritation to your eyes, nose, throat, and even lungs.
Beyond improving air quality, foliage just makes people feel better. Interacting with your indoor plants can reduce stress, for example.
Each kind has its own favorite environmental conditions, so look for a tag that comes with the plant or search online to find out how much sunlight and water it will need. We’ve pulled together a list of nine virtually indestructible plants.
1. Garden Mum
Popular and inexpensive at garden stores in the fall, mums have beautiful blooms. These perennials are also great for plant interaction since they’ll occasionally require some deadheading (the pinching off of spent flowers).
Display them in a cool spot with less than 10 hours of sunlight. These plants are toxic to pets if eaten, so keep them out of reach. You can plant them outside in spring once the danger of frost is gone.
2. Spider Plant
Spider plants are among the easiest air-purifying indoor plants to grow, making them a great choice for beginners or forgetful owners. Fans of bright, indirect sunlight, spider plants will send out shoots with flowers that eventually grow into baby spider plants or spiderettes.
You can place the babies in their own pot of soil while still attached to the mother plant. Then snip them off once rooted. Give them to your friends or increase plant life around your own space.
3. Dracaena
There are more than 40 different kinds of Dracaena plants, making it easy to find one that’s a perfect fit for your home or office. Pet owners might want to select a different plant, however, as these are toxic to cats and dogs when consumed.
Dracaena plants often grow to three feet tall so they require larger pots and more space. They like to be misted rather than watered.
4. Ficus/Weeping Fig
The ficus is a tree in its native lands of southeast Asia and parts of Australia. When it grows indoors, it’s a hardy plant that can eventually reach 10 feet. Grow this low-maintenance beauty in bright, indirect light, and allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
When the temps are well above freezing, this houseplant can also be taken outside to spruce up your porch or patio.
5. Peace Lily
Peace lily plants are relatively small compared to many of the plants on this list, so they’re ideal for compact spaces. Put peace lilies in a shady spot and keep the soil moist without overwatering. Easy to grow, these plants will flower for much of the summer.
Just be aware that peace lilies do contribute some pollen and floral scents to the air.
6. Boston Fern
These plants prefer to clean the air from a cool location with high humidity and indirect light. They’re relatively easy to grow, but they do need to stay moist. Check your Boston fern’s soil daily to see if it needs water and give it a good soak once per month.
7. Snake Plant/Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
This is one of the hardest houseplants to kill. Although it does need to be watered occasionally, it generally prefers drier conditions. The snake plant tolerates most light levels, making it an easy choice for just about any room.
8. Bamboo Palm
Palms thrive in a nice amount of light away from cold drafts. They can bring a lot of green to your space, reaching heights of 12 feet, but they’re slow-growing. Give your bamboo palm at least three years before repotting in a larger container.
9. Aloe Vera
In addition to being easy to care for, aloe comes with some serious health wins. The plant’s leaves contain a clear liquid full of vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and other compounds that have wound-healing, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
This is a good plant to keep in your kitchen window for a quick burn relief remedy. Just break open a leaf to get that goo.
Repotting your indoor plants
If your plant doesn’t come in a pretty pot, or if it outgrew its previous one, you can easily transplant it. To avoid adding to indoor air pollution, choose a clay pot and use organic soil.
To maintain your plant’s health and give it the best chance for survival in its new container, water it thoroughly in the original pot before transplanting. Snip away any roots protruding from the drainage holes that might trap the plant in the container.
For easy removal, tip the plant upside down, while holding it at the soil surface, and gently ease it out rather than pulling.
Repotting pointers
1. Choose a pot that’s at least one inch in diameter larger than its previous container.
2. Place a coffee filter or piece of paper over the drainage holes.
3. Add about an inch of soil to the bottom of the new pot.
4. Remove the plant from its original pot.
5. To promote growth, prune any roots that are straying from the root ball.
6. Place the plant in the new container.
7. Add soil around the sides of the root ball until the soil is level with the surface of the plant.
8. Water it again. Et voilà!
The future of air-purifying indoor plants, although plants aren’t a substitute for adequate ventilation and healthy indoor air quality, scientists have developed a houseplant that can up your indoor air-detoxifying game.