George Schutte on Apr 9, 2019 2:42:00 PM
Yes, DIY fresh air is here, and it’s has been since the beginning of time. We’ve had the technology! It all starts with growing plants and flowers indoors to provide some color and life to your home and office.
Growing vegetation indoors helps with wintertime blues, produces homemade fresh air, and there’s something calming about seeing a blooming flower or beautiful plant on your bed stand, or coffee table, or at your entryway, or in the kitchen, or…you get the picture.
Here are a few tips to help get you growing:
Be sure that your plants get light in the way they need it. Identify how much natural light is available (and needed) for your specific plants. A window is an ideal place but make sure you have a saucer or tray underneath the plants to catch the drips from watering and condensation, which often occurs on the leaves during nighttime.
Water them as needed. Plants need water, but not too much or too little. Water them until you can see it come out of the bottom of the pot. Never put plants in pots that don’t have at least one hole in the bottom! Larger plants in large pots need watering less often than plants in very small pots, which will dry out every couple of days.
Watch out for plant pests. Sometimes plants attract pests— insects that eat the plant and cause it to lose vigor. Some plants are less susceptible to insects than others. Plants with thin leaves tend to get spider mites and whitefly, others get scale or mealy bugs. Usually, a soil-drenching systemic insecticide will do the job, but not always, so it’s important to learn about the plant you choose.
Use a nice pot. A decorative pot or planter that coordinates with the furnishings can really enhance the beauty of the plant. It helps the plant a lot if the pot or planter is on a tray with about an inch of aquarium gravel in it. When you water the plant, the water goes into the saucer and evaporates around the plant, making the surrounding air a bit more humid. This is especially helpful to the plant in winter. Place a trivet underneath the tray so that the tray doesn’t sit directly on a wooden or painted surface and cause damage.
5 Thriving Houseplants to Consider:
Dracaena marginata (dragon trees), ficus (both the large and small-leaved varieties), sanseveria (motherin-law tongue), spathiphyllum (peace lily), umbrella plants.
4 Plants to Steer Away From:
Plants to Avoid: bird of paradise, bamboo, palm trees, and ferns unless you can provide very good light and high additional humidity year-round.