House plants have become extremely popular in the last few years again.
Are we caring for them in the right way.
Each plant has its own set of care instructions and with this in mind it is also a learning curve.
Plants can be very fickle.
Each individual home has a different environment.
There are some real good benefits of having plants in your home or workplace.
For example:
Reduce indoor air pollution by absorbing toxins.
Reduce stress and anxiety
Reduce mould problems
Boost your mood, productivity and creativity.
The easiest plants to look after are:
Cactus
Succulents
Dracaena's
Ficus (rubber plant)
Hyderabad (ivy)
Sansevieria (mother in laws tongue)
Simply having plants around your home or workplaces can help reduce your stress levels, also lower your blood pressure and make you feel more relaxed and happier.
Plants collect dust particles and break down harmful substances, they Reduce carbon dioxide and convert it to oxygen.
Peace Lily's are especially good for this.
A quick search on the Internet will lead you to many articles as to why they are good for us.
How to care for your plants.
The most common problem people face is either over watering or under watering.
Let the plant adjust to its new environment before you water it.
Put your finger in the soil, this will allow to see if the top is dry and the rest is moist you need an even dampness throughout the whole pot.
Read the labels that come with the plant it will describe how often to water and how much light it needs.
If you see a sun symbol on the label this tells you how much light it needs, a full sun means it has high tolerance to light and can be placed in full sun for at least 6hrs a day.
Half sun means it prefers shade.
A rain drop symbol refers to how much to water your plants ie:
One raindrop is minimal watering
Two raindrops is normal to moderate
Three raindrops is your plant will he thirsty so will need watering more often.
The best way I have found to water all my plants is to take them out of any ceramic pots and carry to the sink.
Turn the tap on and allow the water to go all the way through this allows me to see if it has good drainage and also means I am watering less regularly because the water has made it through all the soil.
Cactus and succulents I also take the sing this time I fill with water and dunk them for no more than 10seconds.
Hopefully this will help you look after your plants. And give more insight as to why they are soo good for you.