The reinvention of the indoor plant
Finally people are starting to appreciate the benefits of having plants inside the house.
Plants not only help purify the air, they also act as de-stressers by bringing nature into our lives in an otherwise artificial world.
The amount of toxins released from furniture and carpet in offices and homes is more than you will find outdoors, so plants play a vital role in helping to give us fresh air to breathe.
There is no such thing as an indoor plant; most of the plants that grow in low light levels are forest plants that require moisture, humidity, dappled light and small fluctuations in temperature.
It may seem a hard ask but plants will also adapt to different situations as long as there is enough light to photosynthesise.
Always leave plants in the plastic pots you fit inside your decorative pots, so you can move them around, take them outside for short periods and liquid fertilise them. Never leave in full sun or outside at night.
Divide your indoor plants up into the light levels that suit them best. You may need to move them into different zones of the house to find the spot they like most.
Lightly spray your plants with water every second day in summer, don’t leave them near the air-conditioner and take them on to the veranda to hose dust off the leaves and flush out accumulated salts from fertiliser. Use slow-release fertiliser but supplement with a liquid solution in spring and summer when they are actively growing.
GREAT INDOOR PLANTS
Low light: Zanzibar gem (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), Chinese lucky plant (aglaonema), cast-iron plant (aspidistra), lady palm (Rhapis excelsa), happy plant (Dracaena sanderiana).
Medium light: Peace lily (Spathyphyllum Sensation), bromeliad, diffenbachia, moth orchid (Phalaenopsis), kentia palm (Howea forsteriana), ferns, prayer plant (Maranta), Christmas berry (Ardisia crenata), arrow plant (Syngonium).
