We need a trillion more indoor plants.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by DougF

I have a question, just how much precipitation can you get? and if you make it rain here, are you depriving someplace inland of rain?

Hard to know isn't it? But world air humidity has been rising and it is a greenhouse gas.
Cities seem to have their own microclimates because of all the concrete and lack of greenery.
This was interesting:-

Scientists at the University of Manchester have conducted a study looking at the effect global warming will have on our major cities, and say a modest increase in the number of urban parks and street trees could offset decades of predicted temperature rises. The study has calculated that a mere 10% increase in the amount of green space in cities would reduce average urban surface temperatures by as much as 4°C.
This 4°C drop in temperature, which is equivalent to the average predicted rise through global warming by the 2080s, is caused by the cooling effect of water as it evaporates into the air from leaves and vegetation through a process called transpiration.

Green spaces collect and retain water much better than concrete, and as the water evaporates from the leaves of plants and trees the surrounding air is cooled. This process, called transpiration, is similar to the human cooling effect of perspiration.

“Urban areas can be up to 12°C warmer than more rural surroundings due to the heat given off by buildings, roads and traffic, as well as reduced evaporative cooling, in what is commonly referred to as an ‘urban heat island’,” said Dr Roland Ennos, who worked on the project with Professor John Handley and Dr Susannah Gill in the School of Environment and Development.

“We discovered that a modest increase of 10% green space reduced surface temperatures in the urban environment by 4°C, which would overcome temperature rises caused by global warming over the next 75 years, effectively ‘climate proofing’ our cities.

Cloud seeding was pioneered by the CSIRO in Australia 50 or more years ago. But if you haven't got any clouds, what can you do?
http://www.greengeek.ca/2007/10/14/s...perature-rise/

.................................................. ....................

So what's wrong with a plant?

SOME AIR PURIFIERS CAN MAKE AIR QUALITY WORSE

According to the study, which appears in the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, using an ozonolysis air purifier in a sealed room can lead to ozone levels as high as 350 parts per billion, a level equivalent to a Los Angeles Stage 2 Smog Alert.
The EPA has already come out against ozone-producing air purifiers, saying that they have “little potential to remove indoor air contaminants.”

http://www.greengeek.ca/2006/05/11/s...quality-worse/

[DougF]

Michaelangelica
SOME AIR PURIFIERS CAN MAKE AIR QUALITY WORSE

sense you brought up the ozone levels I thought I would inject this article at this point in time, as it explains How Ozone Can Be Both Good and Bad?

Ozone - Good Up High Bad Nearby

Ozone is a gas that occurs both in the Earth's upper atmosphere and at ground level. Ozone can be "good" or "bad" for your health and the environment, depending on its location in the atmosphere.

Ozone - Good Up High Bad Nearby | Air Quality Planning & Standards | Air & Radiation | US EPA

[maikeru]

I took two pictures of my indoor plants (not including the indoor garden, which I will post pictures of one of these days).

One is of my ficus tree (fig) that is growing mostly in homemade terra preta. It's growing like a weed and is surprisingly heat tolerant and sunlight friendly.

In the other picture, going from left to right, are a pothos/devil's ivy, banana tree, and English ivy. The banana tree and its little sprout are growing in terra preta as well. Found out that the banana tree could not tolerate Utah's harsh sun very well on the windowsill until too late. Much of the damage to it accumulated while I was away on vacation and unable to care for it. I've shielded it with index cards and increased the amount of shade the pot and plant gets. I'll probably put it into a bigger pot as well and separate the sapling, which is growing very quickly. The sapling has already doubled in size since I shot the picture. I'm going to move the pothos off the windowsill and to a corner in my room, where it should do better. Both the pothos and English ivy will be repotted and put into terra preta to help them recover and flourish. I have a lot of charcoal now, and should be able to make up new terra preta pronto.

[maikeru]

Sorry, these are the pics. Didn't post them in the main body of the post.

[freeztar]

English Ivy?!?!

Well, at least it's indoors...

[Michaelangelica]

Doug
I had no idea ozone was so bad.
WHY would you buy an "air purifier" that produces it???
From your link:-

How Does "Bad" Ozone Affect Human Health and the Environment?

Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion. It can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. "Bad" ozone also can reduce lung function and inflame the linings of the lungs. Repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue.

Healthy people also experience difficulty breathing when exposed to ozone pollution. Because ozone forms in hot weather, anyone who spends time outdoors in the summer may be affected, particularly children, outdoor workers and people exercising. Millions of Americans live in areas where the national ozone health standards are exceeded.

Ground-level or "bad" ozone also damages vegetation and ecosystems. It leads to reduced agricultural crop and commercial forest yields, reduced growth and survivability of tree seedlings, and increased susceptibility to diseases, pests and other stresses such as harsh weather. In the United States alone, ground-level ozone is responsible for an estimated $500 million in reduced crop production each year. Ground-level ozone also damages the foliage of trees and other plants, affecting the landscape of cities, national parks and forests, and recreation areas

.
yet from asite that sells them

Portable Home Ozone Air Purifiers

Portable ozone air purifiers reduce indoor bacteria, allergy, asthma, hay fever, home respiratory problems, mold source, odors, pollutants, pollution. Control air contaminates like bacteria, bad odor, formaldehyde, germs, pathogens, virus. Indoor pollution, common problems everywhere.

Portable Home Ozone Air Purifiers
another product
Ozone generator systems
and from the la times

State bans home ozone air purifiers

By Janet Wilson
September 28, 2007 in print edition B-1

The California Air Resources Board on Thursday banned popular in-home ozone air purifiers, saying studies have found that they can worsen conditions such as asthma that marketers claim they help to prevent.

State bans home ozone air purifiers - Los Angeles Times

Yet this firm seems to be selling something different. I don't know what but they quote NSW Department of Health warning

News

The NSW Department of Health Warns Against using air purifiers containing Ionisers, ozone generators and electronic air cleaners due to the hazardous output of toxic ozone associated with these devices….

"Importantly, electronic air cleaners such as electrostatic precipitators and ionizers can produce ozone as a by-product." Read more about the dangers of ozone

Home Air Purifier Indoor Commercial Air Purifiers HEPA Filters

Still when plants can do all this why bother increasing your electricity bill?
.................................................. ..
Maikeru
I have a flowering Ivy that has yellow daisy like flowers. I have been surprised how well it is doing on a shady balcony. I haven't been game to bring it indoors yet, but you inspire me to do so.

How much light does the banana need? They grow in people's gardens around here. They cost a fortune in nurseries but i should be able to score a free plant somewhere. Many chefs use the leaves in cooking.

Pineapples are cheap at the moment so I have just planted a couple of pineapple tops and will see how they go. Other bromilliads are thriving in very low light indoors.

EDIT
some of you might know by now I am having some PH proplems in my garden
So I looked up the bromilliad society web page to find out what they liked
and serendipity found:-

from the Journal of the
Bromeliad Society, September-October 2002,
v.52 (5), p.226. Charcoal is used in certain
bromeliad potting mixes e.g. those based on
cymbidium orchid mixes. However, it could
be used more widely. It can be bought at
some orchid nurseries.
When I was a young man, one of my
memories of helping my late father with his
cacti in his large glasshouse, was the way he
always included charcoal in his potting mixes.
Up until recently, I always thought the idea
of this was to help drainage of the potting mix,
but a small article in one of my father’s cactus
books told me otherwise.
In the days of wood fires, charcoal was
plentiful, and the benefit to potting mixes was
well recognized. It appears that as our wood
fires have disappeared from the scene, so has
the use of charcoal, yet its benefits are still
there.
It should be noted that charcoal has no
food value in itself. However, it does have
several important uses for plants and potting
mixes. One of the most important is that it
acts like a magnet and a sponge collecting
and conserving ammonia. This remarkable
function is one of the marvels of science yet
no one has been able to explain why. If pieces
of charcoal are in the soil, roots will cling to
them to absorb the collected ammonia.
When organic fertilizer decomposes,
one of the first products given off by the bacteria
is ammonia gas. This gas is extremely
volatile and easily escapes, but if a grain of
charcoal lies next to a grain of fertilizer, it
will absorb 80 times its own bulk in ammonia
ammonia
and will hold it, a trait that plant roots
utilize. It is the ammonia-forming capacity of
bone meal, fish meal, natural manure, compost
and other such organic fertilizers that we
pay for, and the gas should not be allowed
to escape.
Charcoal has other equally valuable
properties. It is the world’s most perfect purifier.
It acts as a continuous factory for the
destruction of injurious acids. Whenever evil
organic gases are given off, charcoal will absorb
the odor. A sprinkling of charcoal over
the compost heap will not only prevent odor
but will conserve ammonia. After purchasing
the charcoal, break it into half-inch pieces by
placing it on a large piece of plastic and breaking
it with a hammer. Further benefits that
plants receive by incorporating charcoal in
your potting mixes include: I) It checks damping
off of seedlings; 2) When cuttings are
started in water it encourages root growth and
keeps the water fresh;
3) Charcoal in potting mixes also sweetens the soil and saves fertilizer;
4) Last, but not least, it helps to open
up the potting mix as well as helping in the
drainage.
If you are now using Perlite in your
potting mix why not substitute some of it with
some small pieces of charcoal?

http://www.bromsqueensland.com/pdf/Jul-Aug_2006.pdf

What does "sweetens the soil" mean. You often hear this said.

Perhaps we do need a hypog garden forum or at least aclub

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Doug
I had no idea ozone was so bad.
WHY would you buy an "air purifier" that produces it???
From your link:-

Ozone on ground level or in your home is a very bad thing. (But let's pray that it stays up high in the sky, where it does great good.) It kills stuff by oxidizing them and creating reactive oxygen species (ROS, certain kinds of free radicals), and is destructive to human tissues as well, irritating the eyes, nose, and lungs. It might also lead to higher rates of asthma, immune dysfunction, and cancers because of the free radicals, resulting in protein, lipid, and DNA damage.

Ozone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Still when plants can do all this why bother increasing your electricity bill?

Exactly. Plants > ozone air purifiers and greedy companies.

.................................................. ..
Maikeru
I have a flowering Ivy that has yellow daisy like flowers. I have been surprised how well it is doing on a shady balcony. I haven't been game to bring it indoors yet, but you inspire me to do so.

How much light does the banana need? They grow in people's gardens around here. They cost a fortune in nurseries but i should be able to score a free plant somewhere. Many chefs use the leaves in cooking.

Pineapples are cheap at the moment so I have just planted a couple of pineapple tops and will see how they go. Other bromilliads are thriving in very low light indoors.

If you don't feel like bringing in the entire plant, take a clipping of the ivy and put it in water. It should grow roots readily and you can start a small one indoors that way. I keep it indoors because I don't want it running wild outside, like Freeztar worries about, and it's OK if it runs wild in my room. I'll always have scissors handy to keep it in line. Several of my neighbors keep and grow English ivy outside. In some places, English ivy is a notorious pest, because it has a tendency to grow quickly, grow everywhere, is extremely hardy, and crowds out and outcompetes many other plants. Mine has done just fine in the harsh sunlight and high heat, although I know it can also do well in the shade. Most of the time I think they are grown in the shade.

I've been trying to stock the bedroom with tough and hardy plants, which I know will survive the hot temps, high UV, and occasional missed watering (because even the best gardeners make mistakes and forget).

I think the banana can survive on moderate shade to full sun, but I think that would depend also on soil, nutrients, and how much water it has access to. My bet is that the banana can adapt if it's got good soil and enough water. If growing outside, though, you may want to consider some type of light-colored mulch or soil covering to lessen the heating of the soil and heat stress on the roots. My aunt is growing some banana trees outside in pots with sandy soil in full sun. Temperatures are about 37 to 40 degrees C right now. But I'm using terra preta for my banana tree, and the soil heats up much faster and hotter than her sandy soil would, which is why I need to take care. If you can, ask someone for a sapling and put it in some terra preta. You should have it growing like a weed in no time, and it will produce more saplings that you can separate and grow individually. I want to get as many banana trees going as I can from this one. So far, the parent produced two saplings after I stuck it in the terra preta, but one sapling died while I was on vacation. The new one was produced not long after the first died and I've tried to baby it all I can. It's about half the size of the parent plant now, and still putting out leaves quick.

I tried to grow pineapple tops once, but the bottoms went moldy and eventually they died. That was when I was a kid. I wonder if this would work if I put them in terra preta.

BTW, I want to add that some green onion seeds I put into terra preta are coming up and growing pretty quick. I have them in a mug in the kitchen. They look like little chives right now. When they get bigger, I'll take a picture. From my own experience, terra preta does wonders on store-bought, then homegrown green onions. They grow two to three times larger and thicker than when purchased, mucher darker green or bluish green, and are available for continuous harvesting and cooking.

EDIT
some of you might know by now I am having some PH proplems in my garden
So I looked up the bromilliad society web page to find out what they liked
and serendipity found:-

http://www.bromsqueensland.com/pdf/Jul-Aug_2006.pdf

What does "sweetens the soil" mean. You often hear this said.

Perhaps we do need a hypog garden forum or at least aclub

Would the "sweetening" refer to odor control or neutralizing and balancing things? Seems that charcoal does all of those. I notice that the charcoal helps out a lot with soil odors in my pots, no matter what I fertilize them with (and that says a lot since spoilt milk, fish water, etc. are common feed).

[Michaelangelica]

Maikeru
I always made the wrong type of 'cuttings' from pineapples and failed
BUT-
This is the way to do it:-
Gardening Australia - Fact Sheet: Growing Pineapples

[maikeru]

Thanks! Next time I buy a pineapple, let's see how it goes.

[DougF]

maikeru
Thanks! Next time I buy a pineapple, let's see how it goes.

I'm growing 15 pineapples now, and I always cut the top 1/2 in into the fruit (so I have a nice sturdy top) I stick the top in water that night (as I cut the pineapple while I prep dinner) and plant it in the morning, watering it daily for the first week.

out of the last 60 or so pineapples I've planted in this fashion I think I lost three. and they were cut short of the 1/2 in.

[IMG][/IMG]