We need a trillion more indoor plants.

[maikeru]

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

[freeztar]

English Ivy?!?! :shrug:

 

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]

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. :confused:

[DougF]

maikeru

Thanks! Next time I buy a pineapple' date=' let's see how it goes. [/quote']

 

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.

 

%5Bimg%5Dhttp%3A//hypography.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=41&pictureid=378[/img]

[Michaelangelica]

I'm growing 15 pineapples now, and I always cut the top 1/2 in into the fruit

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.

 

I used to do the same thing but the "Your Garden" link above has said that is not the way to go. So I am trying their method

 

If a bromilliad only flowers once, does that mean we won't get a pineapple from the cutting?

[DougF]

Michaelangelica

I used to do the same thing but the "Your Garden" link above has said that is not the way to go. So I am trying their method

 

If a bromilliad only flowers once' date=' does that mean we won't get a pineapple from the cutting? [/quote']

 

Yes Michael buy all means please do, and please keep us apprised of your progress for I have not heard of that process and am quite curious toward the outcome.

 

and as for the cuttings mine flower the second or third session but with the above method that might change.

[Turtle]

Having kept a plant in my room now for a few months, I think there may be hidden problems with a trillion more. :hihi: Water consumption is high, it draws bugs, it smells like dirt, and it requires cleaning up of dead leaves & stems (which crumble & add dust and microbes to the air) to name a few. Multiply by a trillion.

 

A gallon of water a week for 1 small plant, times 1,000,000,000,000. Where will the water come from? :phones: :phones:

[Michaelangelica]

very interesting blog looking at three new(?) studies on the health, VOC illness, concentration, morale,mood, productivity and absenteeism and how plants effect these.

• Virginia Lohr working for the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, at Washington State University set up a study monitoring two groups of computer operators.
  The study was to try and identify the links between office plants and employee health. In order to find the link Lohr monitored the pulse rates, blood pressure and skin conductivity of all the operators in order to establish as increases in these measures are evidence of physiological stress.
  

Lohr found that the blood pressure and pulse rates of the office workers in the computer laboratories returned to normal much quicker in the laboratories with indoor office plants than those without.

She also noted a distinct change in the level of concentration which was much greater in the 'green' offices. Concentration was measured using a series of computer based tests in which the participants in offices with plants were able to make corrections much quicker and improving productivity by around 12%.

 

• In another study conducted over a 2 year period, Professor Tove Fjeld from the University of Agriculture in Oslo found that 82% of the office staff at the Statoil offices felt better in the presence of indoor commercial plants. In order to measure health improvements Professor Fjeld used evidence from former studies to identify 12 common symptoms that are commonly caused by poor indoor office climates. These symptoms included fatigue, headaches and coughing, all of which are symptoms thought to be caused by Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted by modern office equipment.
  

 

The results of the Professor Fjeld's research produced interesting results. She found that there was a 25% drop in the number of participants with one or more of the 12 symptoms that were working in offices that had been populated with office plants. All the participants who took part in the study expressed a wish to be near an office plant in the future, not only for the physical health benefits but for the psychological advantages too.

 

• The findings of another key study that confirms the role nature can play in making us feel better was released in Roger Ulrich's paper "Health Benefits of Gardens in Hospitals". Ulrich (Texas University) found that there was a direct link betwee
  

n the quicker recovery rates of patients exposed to plants and nature and those who were not.

 

Ulrich compared 2 sets. . .

Boutique Hotels: Office Plants Can Improve The Health Of Office Workers - Fact

 

Wondering if you can get bigger flowers and bigger yields from your indoor gardening? Humic acid is the answer.

Humic acid is an all-organic formula based on one of the richest sources of plant nutrients ever made by Mother Nature.

American Chronicle | A Guide to Using Humic Acid For Your Indoor Gardening

Humic acid is mentioned in the Terra preta sub-forum

[Michaelangelica]

You know, I have a whole heap of so-called inkjet stickers that don't work in their printers.

All I need to do is write on them with a permanent Texta

"This plant is Plastic"

And bung it on.to the offending plant !

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

I have posted the pineapple propagation somewhere here

Gardening Australia - Fact Sheet: Growing Pineapples

 

 

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

More on plant terrorism:_

 

12-Step Guerrilla Gardening Guide | WebEcoist

[Michaelangelica]

Plants for Pets

Study Finds Pets Suffer From Household Pollutants

(NaturalNews) A recent study performed by Environmental Working Group (EWG) proves our pets are exposed to chemicals and toxins in far greater amounts than people. In a ground breaking study, EWG found dogs and cats to be contaminated with 48 different chemicals –- 43 of which were at higher levels typically found in people.

 

Pet owners try their best to protect the four legged loves of their lives. Yet thanks to lax or non-existent regulations, a new study has proven that our pets are becoming polluted with chemicals. Environmental Working Group released a unique study earlier this year finding 48 different chemicals in the blood and urine of dogs and cats.

Study Finds Pets Suffer From Household Pollutants

So has anyone done a test on humans yet?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Guerrilla Gardening Movement has moved from England to Australia and LA

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/sowing-the-seeds-of-a-global-revolution/2008/05/27/1211654031583.html

[Ganoderma]

I used to do the same thing but the "Your Garden" link above has said that is not the way to go. So I am trying their method

 

If a bromilliad only flowers once, does that mean we won't get a pineapple from the cutting?

 

that saying is only half true. it should be "any given growth point will only fruit once."

 

any pups/offsets or cuts will give you a fruit, but the fruit comes from the center, so once that plant fruits that growth point (stem?????) will not fruit again...it may branch out and they will have fruit once more

[Michaelangelica]

Seen in New Scientist magazine, 20 Sept. 08: a review of a new book,

"Between Earth and Sky" by Nalini Nadkarni, U. of Calif. Press. With

the help of data from NASA, Nadkarni reveals that there are just 61

trees for each human on Earth

This seems far too low?

Another good reason for greening our cities and high rise buildings.

This is a good article on indoor growing,

Print a few off for the office notice board or network.

Guide to the best indoor plants, a home life Article from Notebook: Magazine

[maikeru]

Having kept a plant in my room now for a few months, I think there may be hidden problems with a trillion more. :eek: Water consumption is high, it draws bugs, it smells like dirt, and it requires cleaning up of dead leaves & stems (which crumble & add dust and microbes to the air) to name a few. Multiply by a trillion.

 

A gallon of water a week for 1 small plant, times 1,000,000,000,000. Where will the water come from?

 

Add some charcoal to the soil, whether it's biochar, wood charcoal, etc., as long as it's not BBQ charcoal. It seems to help lessen the odors coming from plant pots and improves water retention. And if I'm not mistaken, you were the one who gave me some advice about dealing with pesky bugs with a little tobacco juice. ;)

 

I now have a couple ivies (4 or 5, including my cuttings which have rooted in water nicely), overgrown ficus (benjamina), and pothos that are doing fine. Banana tree unexpectedly died from some kind of virulent rot this week. I am not sure what went wrong. Everything else in biochar is doing great and I am considering whether I need to repot the ficus.

[Michaelangelica]

Having kept a plant in my room now for a few months, I think there may be hidden problems with a trillion more. :eek: Water consumption is high, it draws bugs, it smells like dirt, and it requires cleaning up of dead leaves & stems (which crumble & add dust and microbes to the air) to name a few. Multiply by a trillion.

 

A gallon of water a week for 1 small plant, times 1,000,000,000,000. Where will the water come from?

Real LIFE not plastic, sequestering carbon growing bugs fantastic!!

 

Seriously water will be a problem in the future especially if we keep breeding the way we are predicted to.

 

Air water Harvesters are an interesting idea and only involve a tweaking of some air conditions which already de-humidify This water is usually wasted.

10-19-2007

Replies: 138

Water: Where will it come from in 2050?

Views: 10,437

Posted By Michaelangelica

Smile Re: Water: Where will it come from in 2050?

 

Air water harvesters Could have an important role reducing the greenhouse gas H2O too.

We could kill two birds with the one stone.

 

News in Science - Earth getting steamier and steamier -.

..

http://hypography.com/forums/earth-science/9628-water-where-will-it-come-2050-a-10.html#post193112

 

 

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