We know that spending time in nature is linked to reduced stress levels and tension relief. Personally, I love greenery and would love to live in a house with lots of plants, but today’s busy world we don’t have enough space for plants or trees, and the result is pollution. In today’s article read about best indoor plants for air purification.
NASA research shows these plants helps in keeping the air inside your home clean by removing toxins such as formaldehyde and benzene. These plants are oxygen bombs so make sure that you have any one of these at home. In addition plants will give your home a pleasant look too.
Best Indoor Plants For Air Purification
The Following are the Best indoor plants for air purification
1. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera increases the oxygen level at home, as it absorbs carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Air purifiers can be replaced by this one amazing plant. It is a very popular plant that is best known for its healing qualities and it is easy to grow them indoors as a potted plants as well. Give proper care, and these amazing plants can live for many years.
Watering
The most common mistake people make when it comes to Aloe vera plant care, is over watering. Consistent over watering is the number one killer of Aloe vera plants. In nature, aloes grow in desert climates where they hardly get any rain.
Aloe vera succulent plants hold water in their leaves, so they can go a very long time without water. Over watering will eventually cause the stem of the plant to rot, eventually killing the whole plant from the bottom up.
Lighting
The second most important thing about aloe vera plant care is proper lighting. Aloe vera plants will grow at their best when given lots of light. If they don’t get enough light, they will grow tall and leggy over time, but they also grow well under artificial lights. The best soil for aloe vera is one that drains very quickly, and doesn’t hold water.
Re-potting
If you plan to re-pot your aloe vera, make sure you use a container that has enough drainage holes in the bottom. Pots made out of terracotta or clay are the best pots for aloe vera, and will help to keep you from over watering your plant.
Aloe vera will grow babies (aloe vera pups) around the base of the plant, and these babies can be removed from the mother plant and potted up on their own to create a new plant.
Also Read:25 Ways By Which You Can Use Aloe Vera For Hair
2. Peace Lily
Peace Lily plants are some of the easiest to care for but, proper growing conditions are still important. This beautiful plant is one of my favorites. Dark green leaves with lovely white flowers makes it attractive. This lovely plant not only brightens up the living space, but also excellent at cleansing the air of the room they are in.
Lighting
Like many popular indoor plants, Peace Lilies enjoy medium to low light. What kind of light you need to provide will depend more on what you want your peace Lily plant to look like.This plant require enough sunlight to produce beautiful flowers and also darker leaves, so occasionally you can keep this under sunlight not under direct sun light though.
Watering
Peace Lilies are far more tolerant of under watering than over watering, which is one of the most common reasons for this plant to die. You should check them once a week to see if they need to be watered. Simply touch the top of the soil to see if it is dry. If the soil is still damp, the plant does not need to be watered.
Re-potting
Peace Lilies gets benefits from re-potting or dividing when they outgrow their containers. If you are dividing, use a sharp knife to cut through the center of the root ball and replant each half in its on container.
3. Snake Plant
Snake plant is a local plant and can be found in abundance. They are an easy choice for any corner of your home. It is advisable to keep this plant in your bed room as these produces oxygen at night. The plant absorb carbon dioxide and releases oxygen during the night. So add one to your bed room for clean air.
These plants can be neglected for weeks at a time yet, with their sharp leaves and architectural shape, they will still look fresh. They do have few insect problems. You can clean the leaves with a tissue. In short, they are the perfect houseplants.There are many varieties of snake plant available all of these are equally good.
Lighting
Put them in indirect sunlight. This plant doesn’t require much of sunlight for growth.
Watering
Don’t water them too much, especially during the winter. In fact, it’s better to let these plants dry out in between watering intervals.
Re-potting
When the pot looks crowded it is the right time to do re potting. Remove the whole plant from the pot. Make few partitions and re plant it in few other pots.
4. Bamboo Palms
Bamboo Palms are one among the best indoors plants as they filter the air around. Potted bamboo palms bring color and warmth to any room they are in. It gives your house a classy appearance too.
Lighting
No direct sunlight is required. Bright indirect light would be fine.
Watering
Water the plant until the soil is evenly moist. Don’t over water the palm plant or leave it sitting in water. Check often to be sure that the plant is draining properly.Always allow the top 1/3 of the soil of a Bamboo Palm to dry out before watering. Leaf tips turn pale and green leaves fall off because of over-watering and leaf tips turn brown due to under-watering.
Re-potting
Re-pot the bamboo palm once it becomes too large for its present container. The pot should have adequate drainage holes. Cover the drainage holes with a piece of hardware cloth to keep the soil from seeping out.
5. Spider Plant
Spider plant is an amazing plant as it is able to perform photosynthesis under minimal light. It absorbs toxins from air such as carbon monoxide,formaldehyde,gasoline and styrene.
Lighting
Provide them with well-drained soil and bright, indirect light and they will flourish.
Watering
Water them well but do not allow the plants to become too soggy, which can lead to root rot. In fact, spider plants prefer to dry out some times in between the watering intervals.
Re-potting
As daylight increases in spring, spider plants should begin producing flowers, eventually developing into babies, or spider plant spiderettes. Transplant your spider plant when it outgrows its container.
6. Golden Pothos or Money Plant
Pothos are one of the best indoor plants and is characterized by its golden heart-shaped leaves and is extremely popular in North America. This plant is great for offices and homes since it removes carbon monoxide and formaldehyde from air around. It can be grown in dry soil or in vases of water.
Lighting
You can keep this plant in bathroom or office because they can tolerate low light. While pothos likes a wide variety of light conditions, they do not do well under direct sunlight.
Watering
Pothos plant can be grown in water as well as in soil. Usually this plant will not do very well in soil, especially if it has spent a long period of time growing in water. Water should be changed every week. They will thrive best in nutrient rich soil.
Re-potting
When the plant become long enough, you can cut the stem of the plant and plant it in a new pot.
Caution
The fact that it contains calcium oxalates. Even the sap from the plant may cause highly sensitive people to break out in a rash. It is considered toxic to cats, dogs and children. But as mentioned, it normally will make them very sick but will not kill them.
7. Cactus
Cactus are typically desert-dwelling plants that thrive in dry and hot conditions, but these plants also make excellent indoor houseplants. It require quite low-maintenance, making them an ideal plant for new gardeners and a great gift for dear ones.
Lighting And Watering
The secrets of growing healthy cactus at indoors include, providing them with plenty of sunlight, not over watering, and using the right soil.
Caution
Be careful with the thorns
8. Weeping Fig
Most plants improve air quality to some degree. Weeping plant is particularly good at filtering Formaldehyde, Xylene and Toluene. This is one of the best plants for improving quality of air. It has one of the top removal rates of toxins like benzene and trichloroethylene from tainted indoor air.
Lighting
Bright light is what keeps the weeping fig happy, that is partially shaded. A spot that receives some sun and shade during the day is great. As mentioned previously do not move the tree, not even turning it around to prevent leaves being shed.
Watering
Over-watering and under-watering can cause the leaves to drop. Weeping fig tree is sensitive to chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals often found in tap water, as well as the salt in softened water.
Use only distilled or filtered water, or allow tap water to sit overnight so the chemicals will dissipate. A fast draining soil is advised. Old leaves shed will have to be removed.
Re-potting
And because this tree is slow-growing, re-potting is only needed every 3-4 years.
9. Lucky Bamboo
Lucky Bamboo is not a Bamboo plant at all. It belongs to the same family as the Lily plants. People grow lucky bamboo indoors in their offices or low light parts of their homes. Curly variety of lucky bamboos are also available. Its rare and quite costly.
Brings Fortune
According to Chinese culture lucky bamboo brings lots of positive energy. People gifts lucky bamboo to their dear ones as it brings good fortune. Two, three, five, six, seven, eight, ten stalk lucky bamboo s are meant to bring good fortunes to your life where as four stalk bamboo plant brings bad luck to you.
Lighting
The Lucky Bamboo house plant can grow to about 2 to 3 feet in height. This plant cannot survive under direct sunlight and can grow in soil or water. It grows best in low, indirect light and will not grow well in near darkness.
Watering
Lucky Bamboo needs clean water. The water should not contain chlorine or fluoride in it because these chemicals affect the color of the leaves and make them turn yellow or brown in color. The water should be changed once in every two weeks. The lucky bamboo plant will need at least 1 to 3 inches of water before it has grown roots.
Once it has grown roots, you will need to make sure that the roots are covered by water. When you grow lucky bamboo inside, you can also choose to transplant it into soil. Make sure that the container you will be growing the lucky bamboo in has good drainage.
Re-potting
When the plant becomes mature enough you can cut it from the stem and place it in some new pot (soil or water).
10. Philodendrons
Philodendron care is easy because if you watch for the signals, the plant will tell you exactly what it needs. Taking this plant outdoors gives you chance to flush the soil with plenty of fresh water and also to clean the leaves.
Unlike most houseplants, philodendrons don’t experience as much stress when moving from indoor to outdoor settings. Pothos and Philodendron looks similar. There are many varieties of philodendrons.
Lighting
Set the plant in a location were they get bright and indirect sunlight. They can tolerate low light, but if the light is too low, the new leaves will develop smaller, and far apart on the stem. On the other hand, direct sunlight will burn the foliage, and stunt the growth of the plant.
Watering
Keep the soil evenly moist, but allow it to dry out between watering intervals. Keep Philodendrons slightly drier during the winter months, when the growth slows down. Over watering will cause the leaves to turn yellow. Under watering will cause the leaves to turn brown and fall off.
Droopy leaves signs that the plant is getting too much or not enough water. But the leaves recover quickly when you correct the watering schedule.
Re-potting
When the roots begin to compact into a tight ball, the plant should be re-potted into a planter that is 2-3 inches larger. Re-potting should be done in late winter or spring, before the plant begins new growth. Good drainage is essential, so if there are no drainage holes, be sure to fill the bottom of the pot with clean stones or broken crockery.
11. Boston Fern
Ferns are very popular houseplants and the Boston Fern is one that offers beauty and health benefits. These plants act as humidifiers and can help to restore moisture in the air and helps to eliminate traces of formaldehyde. They look beautiful hanging from baskets all around your house.
The first thing you need to do for proper Boston fern care is to make sure that it is in the right environment. If you give good care, your plant will live for many years to come.
Lighting And Watering
This plant needs a cool place with high humidity and indirect light. Boston fern plants indoors, it’s a good idea to provide additional humidity for them, especially in the winter. Boston fern grows well if the soil remains damp. Dry soil is one of the number one reasons that Boston ferns die.
Re- potting
Re-potting is done during spring once every 2 years while it’s growing fast to a pot size bigger. Still change the top soil each spring even if a pot change is not required.
Fertilizers
Plants get their energy from light, not fertilizers. Unless good light levels are supplied and the plant is growing well, fertilizing will do more harm than good. Newly purchased or re potted house plants should be given a few months rest from feeding so that they can use up the nutrients already present in their growing mix.
All these plants require balanced fertilizers, one to two times per year to keep the plants happy. Lucky bamboo and Pothos which grows in water, few drops of liquid fertilizer will be enough. Organic fertilizers are good option for indoor plants.
Also Read:Kitchen Gardening: Pesticide-free Vegetables Throughout the Year
Summary
This article describes about best indoor plants for air purification. With no much of trees and plants around, we can still breath fresh air if you place some of these plants around. So go ahead buy some of these and start
BREATHING FRESH!!!!
Post your feed backs as comments below.
Leave a Reply