Monday, March 29, 2010

How to not kill your indoor plants


If anyone is like me with indoor plants, they know that it can be frustrating to keep them alive. I usually end up giving mine too much water, and they responding by dieing. Not the gracious response we want from giving too much attention, but inevitable. So after days of seeing this beautiful orchid at the local grocery store and not buying it because I knew that it would not live long in my hands, I heard a great trick. Just put ice in it, and only do it once a week. This seemed easy enough. So first I tried it with an aloe plant that I had been unsuccessfully trying to grow for months, and to my great surprise...it worked! This plant has really taken off and has grown three new sprouts since I started icing. With the success of the aloe plant I decided to try the orchid. I am happy to report so far so good. I have had the orchid for over a month and it still has all of blooms and has a few new ones. I constantly get compliments on how beautiful it is and it's awesome color. So to all of you who are interested in some houseplants but haven't been successful in the past, try icing them. It's easy and quick, and gives many plants just the right amount of water to grow. Good luck with your houseplants!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Natural Indoor Air Cleaners

Indoor plants can be a great and natural way to clean the air that you breathe while inside your home. NASA even says so! This is how it works. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen as part of the photosynthesis process. Some plants are great for cleaning formaldehyde from the air, which is found more in prefabricated or modular homes, and others are good at removing benzene.
Soil and roots have also been found to play an important role in removing air-borne pollutants. Micro-organisms in the soil become more adept at using trace amounts of these materials as a food source, as they are exposed to them for longer periods of time. Cut back the lower leaves to expose more soil for better effectiveness.

NASA recommends that you use 15- 18 good sized houseplants to improve air quality in an average 1,800 square foot house. The plants that NASA recommends are:
English Ivy, Spider Plant, Golden Pathos, Peace Lily, Chinese Evergreen, Bamboo or Reed Palm, Snake Plant, Heartleaf Philodendron, Selloum Philodendron, Red-edged Dracaena, Cornstalk Dracaena, Warneck Dracaena, and a Weeping Fig.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Radon and your Home

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. It comes from the decay of uranium in the soil, and enters homes and buildings through cracks, crevices, or holes in the structure. It enters directly from the soil, such as in crawlspaces, or from an open sump pump. Radon exposure has been linked to cancer, and is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

Western North Carolina does have high levels of Radon and it is important to test your home. Get a free home test at your local extension office.