NASA Guide to a Fresher Year with Plant Buddies - A glimpse of Houseplants
Written and Photo by Sarah Campbell
As urbanization continues to reach its slithery fingers into nature, we humans have gradually become unaccustomed to plant-filled landscapes. To compensate for the loss (and to level up on the Instagram guru game) we have started a trend of incorporating plants into houses. The fascinating history of houseplants can be dated way back to the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon (maybe IG was still in the black-market then…).
Despite the decorative side of modern houseplants, you might be surprised just how much they can benefit one’s wellbeing. Plants are known to freshen up the air, promote creativity and productivity, elevate your mood, help you sleep better, and alleviate pains and colds, amongst other things. You see, all these are things we face every day, so plants are really like a multi-beneficial pill for university students.
We all know that plants purify the air by devouring pollution and turning it into nutrients for dinner, all while releasing oxygen and consuming carbon dioxide. It is commonly thought that leaves are the ones that do all the work, but the Clean Air Study by NASA indicated that it is the roots and the soil that do most of the purifying. The study further proposed that placing at least one plant every 100 square feet of space is recommended for better air quality.
This means that for a single-dorm room at Saint Mary’s, which is 88 square feet, at least one plant is suggested, and two for a double room. It is also wise to have a pot with holes at the bottom as it helps cleanse the air more efficiently and will also increase drainage which will prevent root rot.
Have all those endless benefits, from freshening the air to reducing virus attacks, inspired you to get your green thumb going? Here’s a list of the top house plants for air purification and toxic removal. Some of these are even included in NASA’s top lists.
1. Peace lily and Flamingo lily
- moist soil, likes humility, bright indirect sunlight
2. English Ivy
- likes humidity, low to bright indirect sunlight, a fast-growing trail plant
3. Mother-in-law’s-tongue [aka Snake plants]
- dry soil between watering, likes humidity, medium to bright indirect sunlight, rapid growers
4. Dragon Tree [aka Dracaena marginata]
- dry soil between watering, bright indirect sunlight
5. Spider Plant
- frequent watering, prefers bright light but medium works too
6. Boston Fern
- likes humidity, bright indirect sunlight
7. Devil’s Ivy
- frequent watering, withstands medium to bright light, a fast-growing trail plant
8. Chinese Evergreen
- dry soil between watering, low to indirect sunlight
9. Aloe Vera
- needs little water, medium to bright light
TIPS:
Diagnose the plant when it’s ill! Just like how a doctor looks at your symptoms to find out why you are sick, you can also observe a plant and know what they are lacking or have an excess of.
- If the leaves turn yellow, it could mean two things: overwatering or too much exposure to the sunlight.
- Use the index finger rule: for most plants, stick your index finger in the soil to see if it needs any watering. If the soil is still damp to your second knuckle (the one right before it connects to your hand), then you don’t need to water it yet.
- For plants that like to be at bright indirect sunlight: an easy way to know this is to figure out if they are in the right lighting is to place your hand above the plant, a shadow appears when it’s under indirect sunlight.