Sustain a Healthy Home with an Indoor Garden
Creating an environment that makes you feel at home can be tough, and creating a healthy environment can be even more difficult. An indoor succulent garden, however, can help improve air quality in your home and help you take the first step to become greener.
Remove toxins with greenery
While indoor plants can be decorative and give nuance to a room, they can also detoxify the air in your house. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants through photosynthesis, and release oxygen back into the air. As humans, we breathe in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Adding plants to a room can help supplement oxygen in the room and give back what we take in.
In addition, common house plants can remove up to 87 percent of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) every 24 hours. VOCs, such as benzene and formaldehyde, are found in various household items and materials like detergents and facial tissues, and improvements to construction practices only help to trap the toxins inside your home. Researchers at NASA say that one 10-inch potted plant every 100 square feet is best for purifying your air.
Creating an indoor garden is easy
Different types of plants have differing effects at cleaning air, but all plants contribute to clean oxygen emission. Succulents are drought-resistant plants that retain water in their leaves. Examples of succulents include cacti, jade and stone plants. This type of plant is becoming ever-popular with people without a green thumb.
Learn how to create your own indoor succulent garden below to start making your home healthier:
1. You will need a container or pot with proper drainage that is slightly larger than your succulent or other plant of your choosing. Terrariums are common options for indoor succulent gardens.
2. Next you’ll need to place rocks or pebbles in the bottom of your container. This allows for better drainage and prevents roots from sitting in water.
3. Get activated charcoal and place a centimeter layer directly on top of the rocks. This acts as a filter and can be found in pet and gardening supply stores.
4. Place soil on top. Succulents like gritty soil, so make sure to buy prepackaged succulent mix or combine two-thirds potting soil with one-third sand.
5. Then separate the roots and plant your succulent in the soil.
6. Find a place in your home with minimal direct sunlight, preferably near an east-facing window.
7. Succulents retain water and therefore do not require a lot of watering. During sunny and hot weather, water your plant once a week. If the soil is dry, it may need more water. Try not to over-water.
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