We bring nature indoors by having potted plants. Feeling depressed? A plant is guaranteed to cheer up your life.? But who knew what other major health benefits we were adding to this perking up of the decor? The leaves of these hard-working plants also absorb the pollutants our houses are full of.
Top 5
Not just any plant will do this, of course. At the top of the list is the Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum). Common as dirt, pardon, soil, this plant has the capacity to clear a normal size room of dust and mould better than any other.? It will put up some under watering.? Propagate by taking off the babies and sticking them into a new container of soil.
Others recommended are:
- Aloe vera? (Aloe barbabensis)
- Weeping fig (Ficus spp)
- Lady Palm (Rhapsis excelsa)
- Philodendron (Philodendron spp)
But you can bring some of your outdoor plants in and expect great benefits:
- Cordyline spp has the spikey appearance of? phormiums and and are way less finicky than cannas; and will enhance up any well windowed room.
- Duranta ?Gold Edge? is an annual famous for brilliant gold foliage. It grows two feet a season so give it a little trim and slow down on watering when you get it indoors.
- Begonia ?Benitochiba? has gorgeous shiny purple and silver leaves and responds well to being indoors.
Outdoors to Indoors
To move tender outdoor plants indoors, leave them outside during the day, and bring inside during chilly nights (regularly below 8?C) to harden them off thus avoiding the shock of warm dry house air. This is the ideal time to pop them into smaller containers.
When refreshing a container make sure you use proper potting soil, add a layer of Soil Sponge to the bottom and mix a handful in with the soil to keep it moist for a longer period of time. Use Terra-Cycle indoor fertilizer when they first come indoor and then not until spring when the plants will need reviving and you are getting them ready for a new season indoors or going back outside.
A dozen houseplants will help clean up 1800 square foot area. Set up about three to a well ventilated room:? it?s the draft moves all the bad stuff past their leaves.? Keep the leaves moist with a sprayer and wipe off regularly with a soft damp cloth.? Don?t spray them with shiny stuff that clogs up the stomata. Keep the soil exposed (this also helps absorb gasses).
Put them in bright but not direct light, don?t over water and keep your eye out for bugs and if you see any try a 15ml of soap in a litre of water and hit both sides of the leaves. Plants can keep us breathing better indoors, but don?t take them for granted.