We need a trillion more indoor plants.

[Michaelangelica]

Researchers have found that the presence of houseplants in homes and workplaces can reduce eye irritation and stress, motivate employees, improve concentration, and even reduce air impurities. Plants appeared to have a positive effect on headaches and fatigue and hoarseness, and employees even reported having less dry skin when plants were introduced to offices. Interior plants have also been shown to increase work productivity; in one study, employees' reaction time on computer tasks improved by 12% when plants were present.

Now, scientists are testing the impact of plants on student performance and satisfaction in the classroom. Jennifer S. Doxey and Tina Marie Waliczek from the Department of Agriculture, Texas State University, and Jayne M. Zajicek of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, published a study of the impact of plants in university classrooms in a recent issue of HortScience. Their main objective was to investigate the impact of plants in classrooms on course performance and student perceptions of the course and instructor.

Although the researchers found no significant differences in students' grades and academic performance, differences were identified in students' overall course and instructor evaluation scores. Of particular interest, statistically significant differences were found between control and treatment groups when students scored questions related to "learning", "instructors' enthusiasm", and "instructors' organization". Students from the group whose classrooms included plants rated these items higher on the satisfaction scale. In comparisons of the two student groups, the most apparent differences were reported by students who attended class in the room that was windowless and stark.

According to Waliczek, "Our results showed that interior plants appeared to have the greatest impact on students who were in the classroom that had no other natural elements. Results also showed that interior plants can be a suitable alternative in some cases to architectural elements such as windows. Our study supports other research showing that plants have value beyond aesthetics in interior environments, including promoting positive feelings in university students."

The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS Hortscience electronic journal web site: The Impact of Interior Plants in University Classrooms on Student Course Performance and on Student Perceptions of the Course and Instructor -- Doxey et al. 44 (2): 384 -- HortScience

Plants In Classrooms Increase Student Satisfaction

This is a puzzle. If plants release VOCs how come all the reseach says VOCs go down ie plants lower or remove VOCs. Can someone explain this?

The study concluded that "while ornamental plants are known to remove certain VOCs, they also emit a variety of VOCs, some of which are known to be biologically active. The longevity of these compounds has not been adequately studied, and the impact of these compounds on humans is unknown."

Indoor Plants Found To Release Volatile Organic Compounds

Knowing about natural bug control might be important. If we have a trillion indoor plants we could also have a billion idots with pesticide spray cans!

House Plant Pests

House Plant Pests: Spider Mite Control, Getting Rid Of Aphids

Unfortunately, it’s also filled with low-level toxins. The air inside our houses can be three times more polluted than the air outside.
According to the EPA, indoor air is considered among the leading five hazards to human health. For many of us, that’s easy enough to shrug off: Open a window until the paint dries, right? But for those with health concerns, allergies or breathing problems, that might not be good enough. Those toxins — which come from the solvent that sticks the paint pigment to your walls and then evaporates — linger long past the new paint smell. In fact, household paints and finishes emit low level toxins into the air for years after application. For children (and what’s a major step in readying a nursery? New paint!) this can present a greater danger.

But, before you give up on plans for a new shade in the living room, check out low volatile organic compounds (VOC) options.
What the heck is low VOC paint, anyway

?
Low VOC: The Fresher Coat of Paint*>>*Lazy Environmentalist
Isn't that- According to the EPA, indoor air is considered among the leading five hazards to human health.-- sad?

I went to one of the biggest "Malls" i've been in recently- the Macquarie Centre (Sydney suburbs). I remember it as a grassy farm-paddock. Now it is so big it has its own underground railway station. I felt like a 'country bumpkin' as I explored its huge underground caverns /caves, The sound was strange, echoing rumble mixed with indecipherable musak and shop-lifting alarms. These whent off when every tenth person (it seemed) went past- no one seemed to pay any attention.
But the air, the air was very strange. It didn't 'feel' good or healthy. Very few plants all indistinguishable from plastic. A strange, alien future-world we are making for ourselves. (Yourselves?).

[maikeru]

[quote=Michaelangelica;278182]Plants In Classrooms Increase Student Satisfaction

This is a puzzle. If plants release VOCs how come all the reseach says VOCs go down ie plants lower or remove VOCs. Can someone explain this?
Indoor Plants Found To Release Volatile Organic Compounds

I believe most of the answers are to be found in the news brief itself. Not a particularly good study:

A total of 23 volatile compounds were found in Peace Lily, 16 in Areca Palm, 13 in Weeping Fig, and 12 in Snake Plant. Some of the VOCs are ingredients in pesticides applied to several species during the production phase.

Other VOCs released did not come from the plant itself, but rather the micro-organisms living in the soil. "Although micro-organisms in the media have been shown to be important in the removal of volatile air pollutants, they also release volatiles into the atmosphere", Kays stated. Furthermore, 11 of the VOCs came from the plastic pots containing the plants. Several of these VOCs are known to negatively affect animals.

Here's my take: Many/most of the VOCs are coming from microbial interactions with each other + potting media + plastic pots + pesticides/sprays applied to plants.

So, wash plants with soapy water to try to remove spray residues, change potting mixture to something more natural or healthy (as so many are manufactured junk), and change pots to ceramics like terra cotta, wood, or other materials that are unlikely to release harmful VOCs or other contaminants. Some microbes can degrade plastics, slowly but surely, or metabolize the chemicals released from the plastic. Encourage more aeration and airflow in pots to encourage aerobes to predominate the soil mixture and create healthy, functioning root systems. Toxic/smelly things are sometimes released by anaerobic processes. Also, add beneficial microbes if possible, so that they can help the plant, increase air filtering, and create and sustain a little ecosystem in the soil that keeps itself in check.

I have a personal beef against many of the potting mixtures that can be purchased for indoor use. Sometimes they contain little plastic beads, perlite or vermiculite, too much organic material, or unidentified materials that make me nervous. I have read that "soil amendments" used in potting soil can include discarded rubber from old tires, and obviously that's toxic. Peat/sphagnum moss is an unrenewable resource and isn't all that great for plants in the long term, though it is very good at encouraging seedlings to sprout. However, you can get seedlings to respond well with used coffee grounds, coco coir, compost, dry plant residues, worm castings, perlite, and weak black tea added to your mix (which will provide tannins and other organic compounds) and discourage damping or fungal rot/attack on seedlings.

Btw, it is important to keep in mind that plants will release some chemicals, etc. I think you mentioned one time that the Blue Mountains in Australia appear blue because the eucalyptus trees release oils into the air. So it's good to keep a variety of plants that can filter each other.

Knowing about natural bug control might be important. If we have a trillion indoor plants we could also have a billion idots with pesticide spray cans!

House Plant Pests: Spider Mite Control, Getting Rid Of Aphids

?
Low VOC: The Fresher Coat of Paint*>>*Lazy Environmentalist
Isn't that- According to the EPA, indoor air is considered among the leading five hazards to human health.-- sad?

I went to one of the biggest "Malls" i've been in recently- the Macquarie Centre (Sydney suburbs). I remember it as a grassy farm-paddock. Now it is so big it has its own underground railway station. I felt like a 'country bumpkin' as I explored its huge underground caverns /caves, The sound was strange, echoing rumble mixed with indecipherable musak and shop-lifting alarms. These whent off when every tenth person (it seemed) went past- no one seemed to pay any attention.
But the air, the air was very strange. It didn't 'feel' good or healthy. Very few plants all indistinguishable from plastic. A strange, alien future-world we are making for ourselves. (Yourselves?).

Like you I miss open areas and green space. I don't believe people were meant to spend their lives living in tin cans and mole hills.

[Michaelangelica]

Thanks maikeru
I have always preferred Terracotta for plants even in our dry climate.

Interesting your comment on plastic pots.

I feel vermiculite and perlite are OK. They are rocks after all and it is sometimes good to have a very sterile medium for cuttings and seeds (esp. organic ones).
I buy cheap potting mix ($3 20L) then add peat, char, zeolite, or whatever (seaweed) depending on my best guess on what the plant will like. I would use more perlite and vermiculite if they were cheaper.

We still have conflicting comments/research on potting mixes and VOCs

[Michaelangelica]

The first anti article I have seen but with a rebuttal

Is this the research you were talking about maikeru?

Indoor House Plants Cause Health Hazards
. . .
"Although micro-organisms in the media have been shown to be important in the removal of volatile air pollutants, they also release volatiles into the atmosphere", said Kays.

VOCs released did not come from the plant itself, but rather the micro-organisms living in the soil. While some 11 other VOCs were found to be from the plastic pots containing the plants.
. . .

rebuttal:-

This is simply wrong, please print the follow up from the university as quoted here.....
.To Whom it May Concern, There have been a number of recent discussions resulting from information taken out of context from an American Society of Horticultural Science press release concerning research conducted on plant volatiles in our laboratory at the University of Georgia.
The release indicated that indoor plants have been found to release volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Unfortunately the results were subsequently misrepresented on an internet site, giving the impression that it is undesirable to have plants in our homes and offices.
This could not be further from the truth. All living things give off VOCs; one of the simplest is CO2 that we emit when breathing.
Therefore, solely equating VOCs with “harmful” is totally inaccurate. The fragrance of a rose or the aroma of apple pie are each made up of volatile organic compounds.
The assumption that has incorrectly been made is that all VOCs are equal and are harmful.
Mankind has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years breathing VOCs from plants, nearly all of which are harmless at the concentrations encountered in nature. Unfortunately over the last 150 years there has been a logarithmic increase in the number of synthetic chemicals from other sources to which we are now exposed.
A number of these are extremely harmful and in some cases, lethal. These undesirable volatiles represent a serious health problem that is responsible for more than 1.6 million deaths per year and 2.7% of the global burden of disease (WHO, 2002). Critical questions with regard to VOCs include:
What chemicals and what are their concentrations? In the website account, much was made of a minute amount of volatiles derived from pesticides applied to the plants. In reality, these pesticide-derived volatiles emitted from the peace lily represented less that four hundredth of one percent (0.038%) of the volatiles given off by the plant....

Indoor House Plants | Potted House Plants | Indoor Garden | Home Garden | Stanley J Kays - Oneindia Living
Anyone want to follow this up? I am not up to it at the moment (just out of hospital).

[freeztar]

In an effort to follow through with this thread's proposal, I'm thinking about growing several plants in my basement. I seem to remember some nice self-contained grow boxes on the market years ago, but I'm having trouble finding one now.

I have quite a bit of room to work with, but only 2 electrical outlets (one of which is reserved-so one outlet). I'd like to grow some peppers, but I realize that I'll need some good lighting and some kind of contained setting. I'd like it to be as low maintenance and cheap as possible. Any recommendations?

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by freeztar

In an effort to follow through with this thread's proposal, I'm thinking about growing several plants in my basement. I seem to remember some nice self-contained grow boxes on the market years ago, but I'm having trouble finding one now.

I have quite a bit of room to work with, but only 2 electrical outlets (one of which is reserved-so one outlet). I'd like to grow some peppers, but I realize that I'll need some good lighting and some kind of contained setting. I'd like it to be as low maintenance and cheap as possible. Any recommendations?

Indoor gardens for legal plants arn't that popular or necessary in sunny Oz, so I'm not much help

A TV marketer was selling a nice little grwoing unit on TV for a mere $200. Enough to do a few plants It looked and sounded great, but way overpriced.

However, I am saving up to buy one of the wide spectrum LED lights that Hydrogen bond mentioned in the thread "How many plants do Hypographers' grow?" It is a link direct to the Chinese manufacturer.

Perhaps a Canadian may be able to help? I am told by my Canadian friend that indoor grown MJ is now Canada's biggest export to USA!
Come to think of it, some growing MJ links are very helpful and amazingly knowledgeable.

[Michaelangelica]

Green Walls

Selector - Greenwall Australia

[JMJones0424]

Originally Posted by freeztar

I have quite a bit of room to work with, but only 2 electrical outlets (one of which is reserved-so one outlet). I'd like to grow some peppers, but I realize that I'll need some good lighting and some kind of contained setting. I'd like it to be as low maintenance and cheap as possible. Any recommendations?

Sorry freeztar, just noticed this thread. As no one else has given specifics, I'll take a shot.

Growing sun-loving plants like tomatoes and peppers indoors is difficult and frustrating unless you really go all out with the lighting. I wouldn't suggest LEDs at all, as the light intensity and penetrating power is no where near high enough for the plant. Fluorescents can work, but you would need A LOT, and they aren't as energy efficient in the spectrum that plants need as high intensity discharge lights. Metal hallides are great, but the spectrum is wrong. You really only have one choice, and that is high pressure sodium. You can usually find 70-100w HPS security lights in hardware stores in the states, any larger and you'll likely have to get them from businesses that specialize in indoor gardening. You will need about 35-50 watts of HPS lighting per square foot of coverage. The higher the wattage, the deeper the penetrating power and the greater the distance required between plant and light. Heat generation will become a big concern as well as you get to 400w or larger.

All in all, I was unhappy with the cost of indoor growing of sun-loving plants. For the same price of a few decent HPS lights you can build yourself a small attached greenhouse onto a south facing window (obviously north facing in the southern hemisphere) to use natural sunlight and indoor heating. Unless you live too close to the poles, or you don't have 6 hours of direct sun daily, I'd recommend going this route.

As for the containers- try to stay away from the typical cylindrical pot. Plant roots hit the side and spin around the outside edge, making poor use of the volume of the pot. There are some specially designed nursery pots, Rootmaker is the brand I use, that are specially designed to direct the plant's roots back into the interior of the pot. For larger plants, like tomatoes, I prefer a heavy-duty rectangular plastic tote container rather than typical nursery containers, as it is easier to move around and allows for much more root volume. I think the brand I bought a lot of was tuff-box or something similar. Regular rubbermaid storage containers are not strong enough to hold up to the weight of the soil for long.

Look into pre-formed or do-it yourself shower pans or washing machine pans for a cheap solution to preventing over watering runoff from damaging floors. However, once you get good at judging the amount of water needed, you get to a point where you can water large containers without drain holes without over-watering (as long as you don't use synthetic fertilizers which must be periodically flushed from the soil).

Hope this gets you started.

[freeztar]

Thanks for the info!

I'd like to do the greenhouse idea, but alas, my southern exposure is shaded by trees. Actually, my whole lot is shady.

The individual HPS bulbs might work (50Wx4), but I'm concerned about energy costs. If it costs me $400 to grow 4 pepper plants, then I'm getting a terrible return on investment. Any idea how much the power would cost?

[JMJones0424]

200w times 14 hours daily times 11 cents per kWh is just over 30 cents a day. Add in an oscillating fan and inefficiencies and you're only talking about 50 cents a day. Biggest cost is start up cost though.