Indoor plants do more than improve home décor and bring a breath of the outdoors inside. Many varieties also can improve indoor air quality and your mood, decrease stress, and even help you sleep better at night. And yet while the benefits are many, not everyone is born with a green thumb or can devote the time needed to keep indoor plants alive and well.
If you fall into that category, fear not. With a few nifty tricks and products, you too can enjoy the beauty and benefits of plants with minimal effort.
• A self-watering planter can take the stress out of being a plant parent. Some can hold up to two weeks’ worth of water, so soil and roots remain hydrated while slits along the bottom improve air circulation to encourage root health.
• Food spikes ensure your plants receive just as much fertilizer as they need. Just set a spike in the soil and sit back as it continuously delivers nutrient-packed fertilizer for up to two months.
• Lacking natural light for your light-loving plants? No problem! Try an indoor plant “grow light” with a built-in timer so you can customize a light schedule that fits your plants’ needs for optimal growth.
• How about some water to go along with that food? Decorative self-watering spikes slowly release water into the soil take a little break from watering. Look for transparent spikes so you can easily see when water needs to be refilled.
• Like humans, plants need a certain level of moisture in the air to thrive. A small whole-house humidifier placed near your plants can deliver just the right amount.
• Speaking of humidity, how do you know if your plants are getting enough? A temperature and humidity monitor provides an accurate reading from room to room.
• Keep small insects such as fruit flies, gnats, and aphids away from your plants with sticky pest traps. Simply sick a trap in each pot; when insects come in contact with the trap, they become stuck and unable to inflict harm.
• Keep a glass spray bottle in every room with plants so you can quickly give them a mist when needed. Choose a lead- and BPA-free bottle so your plants receive nothing but pure water.
Just as plants need moisturized air to thrive, so does your home during the cold weather months. That’s especially true if you have forced air heat. So, if you find your air excessively dry, your skin and hair as itchy as can be, and notice wood shrinking or cracking, it’s time to call Air Professionals to ask about a whole-house humidifier so you can enjoy just the right amount of indoor humidity all winter long.