houseplant as room deodorizer?

[shoemakerted]

Hello,

Can someone recommend an indoor plant that will noticeably help to freshen the air?

Thank you,

Ted Shoemaker

[Phisherman]

I have many house plants, including a 4-foot peace lily, dracaena marginata, Chinese evergreen, philodendron and sansevierias, all easy-to-grow house plants that help with air quality. I've noticed how a greenhouse smells fresh and you'd probably need a lot of plants to achieve the same result in your home.

[Nan]

Lavender.

Nan

[peggo]

And just about any herb. Mrs Bonk's mint is good. Rosemary, basil, and I've heard that Spider plants can clean your air.

peggo

[Donna in Texas]

Would lavender need a very sunny window? I grow it in my garden but haven't thought of having it in the house.

Donna

[peggo]

I live in Wisconsin. So I suffer a hard winter. I keep a big pot of lavender on my deck in the summer and I bring it in when it gets cold. It kinda wimps out, but I cut it down and it grows back. anyway..... to answer your question, yes. It likes a Sunny Window.

peggo

[Nan]

I would imagine it needs a sunny window. I planted lavender at the cemetery and it thrives in full sun.

Nan

[0tterbot]

someone said spider plant, which i can also confirm. there are some others (about 5). can't remember them - try google!!

apparently, though, (?) it's microbial soil activity that does most of the freshening, not the actual plant itself - (and with the appalling state of modern potting mix i don't know how you'll go!!!!). plants have the ability to create "zones" around their root systems which (in the wild) would serve varying purposes (e.g. creating a less-acidic zone, etc), although all plants can, to some degree, create a "fertile zone" around their roots. (this sounds a bit mad, so i did some digging & in fact it seems highly true).

i'm babbling pointlessly. i can't recall which specific plants are "the best" for this & i'm sure it's worth looking, but any plants will, of course, help. (as does opening windows ;-) kylie

[Mrs Bonk]

I had a small orange tree for a birthday present. It gives off a delightful smell, quite refreshing. I've not used the fruits yet, I believe they are rather tart and better suited to jam making. When I moved into this property the airing cupboard had a nice smell and I discovered a few pomanders - oranges, very dried up and brown and spiked with I believe cloves so maybe I will do something similar with mine.

[Mrs Bonk]

My mint has rooted on the kitchen windowsill already and it is now time to plant in a pot. It seems to have lost the strong minty smell unless I rub a leaf and sniff. I have a nice fairly strong smelling peace lily in a pretty beaded pot. Sadly it is on the way out and I can't seem to save it.

[Mrs Bonk]

Very good dear. Have you perhaps taken some sort of further education in horticulture ? Perhaps you have gained the knowledge to save my peace lily?

[Donna in Texas]

Mrs. Bonk wrote about her mint in the kitchen.

That stuff will grow like blazes! We planted some in our herb garden and had to remove it to another area, and constantly had to cut it back. Hadn't thought to try it indoors. Also have lavender outside but hadn't thought to pot it either.

Hmmmm the orange tree sounds delightful.

Thanks for the ideas!

A question:::: What is an airing cupboard?

Warmest Regards,

Donna

[0tterbot]

yes... and by coincidence, read an article just the other day concerning microbial activity in indoor pots for air improvement, so i can now confirm the above! (apparently you need 5 pots per small room to make an appreciable difference, however).

sadly, no. :-)

however, i do know most indoor potted plants meet their doom from:

1: overcare (almost always, over-watering, especially in winter; or again in winter, too much warmth) 2: neglect (this doesn't sound like YOU, mrs bonk!), or: 3: incorrect lighting conditions

might i suggest you inspect the plant carefully for any sign of disease or pests. treat appropriately if any are found. mites can be chronic on indoor plants yet they can be difficult to detect. look very carefully.

next step, consider if the plant needs re-potting (it probably does), either due to being root-bound, or simply that the potting mix is too old & has run out of oomph. autumn is a good time for this, but any time is good if the plant is ailing. again, check for disease or pests & be sure to carefully brush out as much old mix as possible & repot in a bigger pot if necessary (but not too big). keep nicely damp for a short time as the plant settles back in. don't be afraid to prune out any diseased or over-long roots/rhizomes/whatever it is. (do peace lilies clump? i can't recall. the plant may simply be over-crowded & need splitting & repotting.)

consider if lighting & watering as you have been is suitable for the plant (i don't know anything about peace lilies in particular).

make sure you never, ever use "leaf cleaners" on indoor plants. these are ghastly!! indoor plants need their leaves kept free of dust & cobwebs - use a damp cloth to clean them gently on both sides. from time to time they enjoy a nice shower for a really good cleaning & watering!

is there a nice u.k. garden group or handy friend or neighbour you can ask? with gardening advice, local is usually best as some things just don't make any sense or just won't work if someone a long way away gives you advice that works in _their_ area.

good luck! kylie

[Mrs Bonk]

I am "rooting" it indoors, it will eventually be put in a large pot outside.

Most of the homes here have an airing cupboard. It's the place to put sheets, towel, bedding etc to "air", often warmed by an immersion heater, mine is next to my warm air chimney so gets very cosy in winter and in summer there is a space heater if I need extra warmth in the cupboard. I also hang clothes in there if I have steam ironed them and they are a little damp.

[Mrs Bonk]

Thank you dear - so kind of you to take the time to reply with such a lot of information. My peace lily is still struggling to live. I have fed it and it has bucked up slightly. I will try repotting and cutting out the dead bits then giving it a shower.