Shake Your Pixels
Scientific News for Non-Scientists
If you find yourself venturing indoors at times…
… try introducing indoor plants into your space. One study found various common plants can significantly improve air quality. You may think the air outside is more polluted, however, indoor air can be 12 times as foul. The air may help cause asthma, cancer and various nasty disorders.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140816.htm
November 6, 2009 - 2:25 am
Of the species test, they said these were the top four:
Purple waffle plant
English Ivy
Variegated wax plant
Asparagus fern
Hmm.
The Silver Hoya I found on ebay (that I never ordered) was also known as a wax plant. It was supposed to be hard to kill. And has a fragrance.
And the Asparagus fern I think is common.
“Never heard of the waffle plant”.
Pretty cool article.
November 8, 2009 - 8:45 pm
I picked up an asparagus fern yesterday.
Turns out that Sharper Image went bankrupt because of a lawsuit involving their air fresheners.
So I figure that maybe I can keep a fern alive instead. Now I have to find out how to propagate them.
I also sent away for a peace lily – which won 2007 office plant of the year, or something like that. Probably deadly poison to cats.
Ordered couple other things that look like fun.
- some ‘eyeball’ plant that can be used as a minor pain killer. Used for toothaches appaerntly.
- a Hoya, which hopefully qualifies as a wax plant – though mine isn’t variegated.
November 8, 2009 - 9:24 pm
Glad to hear you’re collecting some cool plants. Ferns shouldn’t be to hard to propagate.
November 9, 2009 - 9:58 pm
Apparently they can produce seed. I may have to put it in more light for that, but it would be cool to get one that is flowering next summer.
And you can divide them, but I’d prefer to wait for seed. If the plant lives that long, haha.
November 14, 2009 - 8:49 pm
Hey, check out my post here:
http://babyspittle.com/2009/11/14/bonsai/
I spent some money on seeds.
If I get a few good seedlings, I’ll keep one for a bonsai of each kind. Think you could find a place for a Chinese Wisteria in your neck of the woods?
Apparently they smell nice to boot.
And then there’s some neat “Miracle Tree”, which has a use for every part of it (all parts are edible).
The other thing I noticed today, is a series of self-watering planters. And I believe I have the concept down, so I may try to make a couple from parts at home depot.
An example of the pre-built kind is here:
http://demandware.edgesuite.net/aabf_prd/on/demandware.static/Sites-Gardeners-Site/Sites-GSC_Products/default/v1258139752432/Products/35-783_a.jpg
http://www.gardeners.com/Cortina-Self-Watering-Planter,-20/SelfWateringPlanters_Cat2,35-784RS,default,cp.html
Also, this page describes another way to accomplish the same thing, homemade.
http://www.insideurbangreen.org/2009/09/universal-subirrigation-planter-construction-.html
Prevents over-watering.