Plants that Produce the Most Oxygen

There are various methods used by humans to increase the air quality of an environment. These include the utilization of natural furniture, low VOC finishes, and proper ventilation.

A natural method for increasing oxygen in an environment is through the use of plants. All plants produce oxygen, but there are some that generate more oxygen than others.

 

Areca Palm

Areca Palm is engineered biologically to produce oxygen and use carbon dioxide. What distinguishes it from other plants is its capability to clean the environment. The palm removes dangerous chemicals such as toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde.

 

Snake Plant

The Snake Plant is known for its efficiency in oxygen production. It produces night-time oxygen and purifies the air by removing dangerous chemicals. These include trichloroethylene, benzene, toluene, and xylene.

 

Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera Daisies produces a great deal of oxygen at night. They also remove harmful chemicals, such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde.

 

Chinese Evergreens

The Chinese Evergreens releases high oxygen levels. They also cleanse the environment by removing dangerous chemicals, such as formaldehyde and benzene.

 

Algae

It is projected that marine plants produce 70% to 80% of all atmospheric oxygen. Since the majority of marine plant species are algae, this makes algae largely responsible for the production of most of the oxygen in the atmosphere.

 

Leafy vines and large trees

A plant with more leaves generates more oxygen compared to one with few leaves. Thus, large trees or leafy vines produce more oxygen compared to those with sparse foliage. Additionally, larger leaves emit more oxygen compared to smaller leaves.

 

Peace Lily

The Peace Lily is a plant that clears the indoor air. It has long, oval leaves that create a large surface for oxygen production. Additionally, Peace Lilies remove various chemical vapors. These include ammonia, acetone, formaldehyde, xylene, and benzene. It also removes toxins.

 

Bamboo Palm

Bamboo Palm, also known as the “lady finger,” helps to generate fresh oxygen and clean air. It has a reed-like trunk, and its leaves resemble fingers. The palm grows slowly and can grow up to 10 feet tall.

 

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a succulent plant. Aloe Vera produces a significant amount of oxygen at night and absorbs carbon dioxide. It is also responsible for the removal of human carcinogens like formaldehyde and benzene. The best part? They require less maintenance than many plants.

 

If you want to increase the air quality of your home, office, or outdoor space, add some of these plants!

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Originally published on pietcasier.org

How to Protect Your Garden from Hungry Wildlife

With all the care, attention, and hard work you put into keeping your garden looking beautiful, green, and healthy, the last thing you want is for wild, hungry critters to come and destroy all of your well-loved plants and flowers.

But never fear! There are ways to keep out pesky animals who see your garden as an all-you-can-eat buffet.

 

Protect Your Garden

One of the best and easiest ways to keep your garden free from animals is to protect it with fencing. Most fencing will keep out hungry rabbits and other small animals. In order to deter animals of the burrowing variety, bury your fencing at least 10 inches into the ground. This way they won’t be able to dig under it.

Another good way to protect your garden is by using raised or elevated plant beds. Up off the ground, this type of garden won’t attract small critters who are looking for a snack! You can even add a small fence on top to make sure no one can hop their way into your raised planting bed. Raised planting beds also give you great design options for your garden.

 

Choose The Right Plants

A surefire way to keep animals out of your garden is to choose plants that those animals don’t eat! Naturally, animals (especially deer) will avoid plants that have prickles, plants that are fuzzy, and flowers that are aromatic. You may try filling your garden with ornamental grasses, barberry, and holly, which are not as attractive to deer and other animals.

 

Natural Repellents

If fencing your garden and choosing unappealing plants hasn’t worked, then the next step is to try natural animal repellents. Sprinkling around some hot sauce or chili powder will obscure the appealing scent of your plants. Beef bouillon, an egg solution, and a garlic spray can also work as smelly deterrents.

Once an animal has tasted something unappetizing or has gotten sick from a food source, they will usually steer clear of it.

If that doesn’t work, you can try repelling animals by scaring them just a little bit with scarecrows, lights, or motion-activated sprinklers.

 

There are many animals out in the wild that can invade your garden, including rabbits, deer, and mice. But there are several all-natural ways to keep those hungry critters from eating and destroying the garden you’ve worked hard to grow.

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Originally published on pietcasier.org

Potting Soil: Should You Buy Organic?

Despite how well you care for your garden, how often you water, and what plants you choose to grow, if you don’t have the right soil, then all of your hard work could be for nothing. But it can often be difficult to decide what kind of soil is best: organic or non-organic.

This helpful guide will give you a good primer on the differences between organic and non-organic soil as well as their many benefits.

 

What Is Organic Soil?

Organic soil is basically just soil (sand, clay, or silt) that contains organic material, such as microorganisms, worms, decaying plant material, and other living substances. Often, it will have manure, compost, or mulch added to it in order to add nutrients or moisture.

 

What Are the Benefits of Organic Soil?

The main benefit of organic soil is that it is free from man-made chemicals, pesticides, and genetically-engineered material. Another benefit is that there are a wide range of different organic soils, which means you can find the right soil for your plants, whether you’re growing orchids or succulents.

If you want to go all-natural, then organic soil is the best choice for you. However, even soil that isn’t organic could be beneficial to your garden.

 

What Is Non-Organic Soil?

Like its name implies, non-organic soil doesn’t contain any organic, living material. Different kinds of non-organic soil include:

• Vermiculite, a shale-like natural mineral that expands when exposed to heat
• Perlite, a mineral that is formed from heated volcanic glass
• Expanded clay aggregate, a porous clay pellet

 

What Are the Benefits of Non-Organic Soil?

Just because non-organic soil isn’t organic doesn’t mean it isn’t good for the environment. Lots of non-organic soils include recycled materials like Styrofoam, which allows the soil to hold water better.

Often cheaper than organic soil, non-organic also has a neutral pH level, which means it’s great for all plants. Non-organic soil will also not contain many of the contaminants that are found in organic soil.

 

In order to make sure that your garden, potted plants, and other greenery grows to its fullest potential, it’s important that you choose the right soil. Organic soil offers many great benefits to your plants and will help keep them healthy and happy, while non-organic has a lot of the same benefits at a slightly cheaper price point.

To learn more about the soil needs for your specific garden, ask an expert at your local gardening center who can point you in the right direction.

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Originally published on pietcasier.org